Occupations a vital tactic Workers' control in the fight to save hospitals

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JANE GOSS completes her two-part 'how to fight hospital closures' briefing with a look at the art of occupation and the fight for workers' control in discussed. You are techni- that they are making the aecally not allowed to speak: cisions about how the hospibut why should a totallly un- tal will run. They are in conelected and unaccountable trol of their working environbody be able to ruin the health ment - for the first time.

Disruption of DHA meet- smoother during оссираings has proved valuable in tions. The patient/worker the past and shows the ad- relationships are much better, ministrators that they will with patients cooperating not have an easy time trying in trying to keep the hospiBut the real way to win tals like St. Benedicts many and to save hospitals is by of the long stay patients were united industrial action. There actively involved in the occup HEALTH Authorities are weighted in favour of the wealthy and the ruling class - Norman Fowler sees to that. However, in several districts in London there is a real possibility of the DHA's rejecting the cuts - if only the Labour party representatives on the DHA's would vote against.

Labour party activists should get the GMCs to adopt a position that members of the party on authorities must oppose closures which are made for economic reasons.

In Wandsworth recently two women labour party members voted for the closure ofthe South London.

Workers will constantly be putting their jobs on the line in fighting the cuts and closures. Any action will be in contravention of the Tebbit legislation. Workers will be fighting managers, their trade union leaders and often the police.

Risks

They risk massive fines and imprisonment. The very least the Labour party and trade union members on the district health authorities can do is vote against closure.

Yet at meeting after meeting we hear them saying that they must stick to the cash limits (because Norman Fowler says so) and they must make the cuts. Let the Tories make their own cuts. Labour should be defending the working class.

District Health Authorities should not be allowed to make their cuts in a quiet room with only a few people there. Members of the public are allowed into the meetings. Many people do not know this.

Make sure that there are a lot of people at the meetings where the cuts are being of the community in silence?

to close the hospital.

the NHS WE 'have been several militant hospital occupations since 1977.

Cynics argue that they have not saved the hospital and are therefore not worth the problems involved.

The EGA closure was postponed for three years through an occupation. St. Benedicts occupation was ten • months long and was only broken by massive police force and private ambulances. Every fight to save a hospital makes it harder to close another one.

Every occupation involves the issue of workers control.

Decisions

Suddenly the workers find 1ka The hospital usually runs tal open. In geriatric hospiJOHN HARRIS pation, taking their place the picket rota.

Occupations essentially involve the workers declaring that they will not participate in the closure of the hospital and that they will actively oppose it.

Many workers do not know exactly what an occupation involves. Does it mean they will not get paid? Do they have to sleep at the hospital? What about their families? Will they be sacked? Should management be banned?

The best thing to do is to call a mass meeting at the hospital and to invite a speaker who has experiences occupations.

Unlike industry, during NHS occupations the workers continue to get paid. This is a of equipment and patients, and to keep track of who is coming and going. Most areas have law centres who will give advice on legal rights ete and it is good to involve them from the beginning.

It is true that an occupation cannot win on its own. It needs the support of the community but particularly it needs the support of other trade unionists in the area.

Because i of management's 'divide and rule tactics and because the trade union officials are hostile to occupations there has not been the necessary level of supporting strike action in other hospitals and in other sectors.

During the St. Benedict's occupation the workers committee went around to all the hospitals speaking at meetings and askig for supporting strike action. Many of the stewards and members were prepared to come out if the officials had approved the action. The officials did not move.

They will be less likely to move know with the Tebbit laws the rank and file must be convinced to come out on strike whether or not it is official. Administrators will be less likely to act in a heavy-handed way if they know that there will be district wide strike action in support of the threatened hospital. MOBILE Gardening workers employed by Pritchards Industrial Services Ltd (the firm who took the contract from direct labour) are in their second week of strike action for a living wage and decent working conditions. They are NUPE members.

On Monday July 18, Pritchards imposed a piecework system on the workforce which in some cases would have only amounted to £35 for 10 days work!

The existing conditions are squalid and Victorian. They have no mess room, no clothing issue, no paid holidays, and no paid sick pay scheme.

Pritchards have been fined severely by Wandsworth Council for failing to fulfil the gardening contract; they are seeking to pass these fines on in the form of massive wage cuts.

The strike may be a long one, the potential market for privatisátion is enormous, but the contractors can only make money by screwing down the wages and conditions of their workers.

Messages of support and donatons to: NUPE, c/o Dave Benlow, NUPE Secretary, Junction Resource Centre, 248-50 Lavender Hil, SWIl. Make cheques out to NUPE, and indicate that they are for the Pritchards Strike Fund.

The Tories' plans for the decimation of the NHS can be wrecked. The labour movement has thwarted governments before, and it is strong enough to do it again.

The NHS has the sympathy of nearly every worker in Britain. The strength of feel: ing was shown during the dispute in 1982. That strength must be harnessed to save the NHS and to stop the Tory destruction of the welfare state.

Saving hospitals is not easy. But we have learned a lot in the past struggles and we can win with united action.

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