[Phillips Rubber strikers in Manchester have occupied their…]

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Phillips Rubber strikers in Manchester have occupied their factory. STORY INSIDE, page 14 CIVIL service union branches and committees across the country are organising hard for a one-day strike next Tuesday, 28th, against the banning of unions at GCHQ The London Council of Civil Service Unions coordinating committee is calling for a strike and a demonstration from Temple Place, WC2, at 12 noon.

Only such action, and not sweet talk, • will shift Thatcher.

But Alistair Graham, the general secretary of CPSA, i doing all he can to stop strikes on February 28 Speaking on Channel 4's "Face the Press" programme, sunday 19th, Graham apologised for any disruption caused at Cheltenham during the 1981 Civil Service pay campaign and reiterated his offer of a "copper-bottomed guarantee" that nọ such thing would happen again.

Opinion Then, in a circular to Branch Secretaries dated February 20, he stated categorically "During the next few days it is crucial that we do not put a foot wrong. We must keep the government on the defensive as this dispute will be won by the force of public opinion rather than by industrial force He reminded us that "we , are not concerned to hit the general public or government by strike action" What we are about, it seems, is winning Ere Churchman part raind the support of rebel Tories, even churchmen"

Meanwhile, many manage(ments are refusing annual leave to staff on February 23, when a lobby of Parliament is taking place.

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THE Tories are talking about special legislation to put Liverpool under the control of government commissioners; troops to take over services if council workers strike; and scrapping the May elections for the city council.

They have been thrown into this agitation by the Labour councillors' intention of refusing to act as administrators for the Tory cuts. The councillors say that they will not make cuts in jobs or services, and they will not make ends meet by levying higher rents or rates from the local people, either.

A special Merseyside labour movement conference will be LABOUR PARE JOHN SMITH (IFL)

LIVERPOD ENTRAL THOUSANDS of workers on Merseyside struck on Monday 20th to defend the health service.

The initiative came from the docks, who were all out on the day, and seafarers, Crosville busworkers from the Edge Lane depot, and the Imperial Metals Industries factory (the largest on the Kirkby industrial estate) also struck.

The feeling behind the strike was summed up by Dennis Kelly, chair of the Merseyside Port Shop Stewards Committee. Referring to the NHS he said, "It's ours. We'll do the fighting for the hospital workers. They do the dirtiest jobs and they are the worst paid"

Strikers organised an allday picket outside the Liverpool Women's Hospiand the Children's Hospital, and their immediate demand was the opening of the Duchess ward in the Women's Hospital.

Heswall Children's Hospital has been closed,