By Ricky Houston

Scan page 15

The October 25 mass lobby was followed up by an even larger lobby of the adjourned meeting the following Monday, supported by some 200 protestors, including striking health workers from the John Radcliffe and Littlemore hospitals and pensioners from nearby Didcot. 150 were allowed into the public gallery of the County Council chamber, and witnessed the DHA rubber-stamping the planned cuts. Campaigners have vowed that every further DHA meeting will be a target for action. Union's favour, management retreated on the deadline, while the POEU threatened to escalate the dispute beyond the London area, and secured promises of support from the UCW and CPSA.

But the threat has been increasingly raised by BT of mass sackings to follow the POEU conference, which could Ted the building, about 100 lobbyists moved into the meeting room to await the start of the meeting.

When the DHA refused to start, the lobbyists sent a delegation to mediate between themselves and the officers. After refusing an 'offer' to stand in a corridor and listen to proceedings, the lobbyists cleared space in the room for the DHA members to squeeze into.

Members did just squeeze round their tables, surrounded by a solid bank of lobbyists pressed up against the walls.

By this time, however, feelings were running high and after some angry exchanges about why the DHA had not changed the venue and about their accountability, the Chair, Sir John Habbakkuk, abandoned the meeting.

The lobbyists sent the delegation back to the officers with their original demands for a change of venue and time plus a request that space be given at DHA meetings for public participation in discussion.

This was rejected out of hand but as Michael Dulieu explained:

•'This will be pursued as our next strategy. The Regional Health Authority tells us that the buck stops at the DHA, it makes crucial decisions and yet