Residential social workers sold out

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Ann Crowder reports on the ending of the residential social workers action and draws out some of the lesson: •To the most militant residential workers this was sell-out ndustrial Digest INALGO SAYS PAYUP THE ACTION takeh by residential workers in pursuit of a claim for enhanced payment for unsocial hours working has been suspended.

In a national secret postal ballot, there was a majority against escalation by implementing 9-5 working. Normal working will be resumed in homes for the elderly, children and mentally and physically handicapped by January 9. following a majority vote in favour of suspending all action at a national delegates meeting on December 22.

It was also agreed to accept an ACAs deal. which calls for a national review of residential care.

To the most militant residential workers this was a sell-out.

A motion supported by a number of branches, calling for a A THREE week-old strike by post office staff in the Shepherd's Bush area of London ended last month after three weeks.

About sixty members of the Union of Communications Workers walked out at the beginning of the month after management withdrew productivity bonuses because of an unofficial overtime ban.

The strikers went back to work after the union had agreed with management to add to the workers' weekly bonus them selves.

The strike had been made official by the UCW, the first time the union had made any strike official since the 1971 national strike.

THE government has put pressure on the NHS to drop all specification of minimum wage rates for staff employed by companies on cleaning and catering contracts, in an effort to cut the NHS wage bill. ending continuation of previous action, with further escalation in the future, was defeated at that NALGO's National Local Government Committee (NGC) are going into this with a watered down version of our claim, almost saying they will accept anything.

The employers are a lot clearer about where they stand, nothing will be forthcoming unless considered in the context of the changing face of social service provision and a reduction in local government funding, (i.e. cutbacks, closures, job losses).

NALGO's NLGC did very little to build for the '9-5 working only' ballot. It had done virtually nothing to publicise the claim, nor had it done anything to build support amongst the rest of its Conflicting reports on the success of a half-day banking strike just before Xmas have emerged from employers and the union involved. The Banking Insurance and Finance Union called the national stoppage over the loss of the traditional half-day given to staff on the last trading day before Xmas.

Employers claimed that only 110 bank branches were affected out of a possible 11,000. BIFU claimed that 2,500 branches were affected, with support from 60-70% the union's membership.

There are fears tht the government is preparing the way for the privatisation of the power industry. The Electrical Power Engineers Association believe that the government's decision to impose a 3% tariff on the industry this year is a clear move to make the industry attractive to private investors.

PHOTO: ANDREW WIARD, REPORT membership in local government.

Although authorisation was given for strike action on December 7 in support of residential workers and whilst there was a good turnout on a 10,000-strong demonstration, it needed more strike action by more local government workers to win the claim.

It was no doubt held back by the fact that NALGO had done nothing to publicise this authorisation, no national leaflet, nor did they do anything to build for future days of action which would have been necessary had we won the '9-5 working only' ballot.

This fight has never been just about our claim. NALGO pays lip service to fighting the Tory government's plans to abolish the Metropolitan Authorities, the GLC and so on. It speaks about the fight against cutbacks, and the improvement of public services, yet it was almost relieved to sell us out and stop industrial action.

Even delegates who were in favour of accepting the ACAS deal (amongst them Militant supporters) were highly critical of the national leadership.

It appeared they wanted this dispute over and done with as soon as possible, and have put their energies into ensuring that, rather than winning our claim which obviously would have been a victory for all local government workers against the Tory employers.

Local victimisations, docking of pay, sackings should have been met by national action, not left to individual branches to take action and become isolated. in many cases with no chance of winning.

No defence Nationally NALGO have held back decisions on ballots for local escalation of the action. In Nottinghamshire it had held back strike money for strike action that had been authorised.

There was no defence of those who were arrested on December 7. no public statement was issued.

"NALGC militants must fight for the accoul tability of their so-called leadership.

We must stop them from seeing disputes as isolated inconvenience The post-mortem of this dispute needs i longer analysis. But a few more points are important to note.

Firstly, secret postal ballots not only hamper but are destructive to action. The programme Sixty Minutes had a severely disabled person urging people to vote 'no' in the ballot. NALGO did nothing to counteract this or build for a 'yes' vote.

The 'no' vote meant a calling off of our action when there was enough militancy amongst residential workers and a growing support amongst local government workers to win our dispute.

We need to campaign against postal ballots being established in unions and to get rid of them at NALGO's next annual conference.

Accountability

Secondly, the role of authorities.

Class collaboration against workers is certainly no way to protect services, jobs, or workers. We need to highlight the accoun tability of councillors when it comes round to reselection time and take these sell-outs as a clear indication of their class treachery.

NALGO militants must fight for the accountability of its so called leadership. We must stop them from seeing disputes as isolated inconveniences. Our fight was a fight for all local government workers and local government services, and any fight by other sections will be a fight for us.

• Residential workers should use their experiences to win these demands. It needs to be started straight away. Support must be built for the January 24 day of authorised strike action to defend the GLC and the Metropolitan Authorities.

No doubt demoralisation has set in amongst. residential workers. We must see it merely as a postponement of the need for industrial action. We must be prepared to fight now for the accountability of the labour movement leadership.

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