Which way fo the Green

Scan page 9

Already the casualty and operating theatres have been closed as well as many wards but occupation has prevented the removal of specialised equipment, thus obstructing management plans to transform certain sectors into a geriatric care unit.

Empty wards have been padlocked and drivers bringing new equipment turned away by pickets.

Break picket

It is now clear that management will attempt to forcibly break the picket and bring in non-union builders and decorators to carry out alterations.

Aș a result of this a sixtystrong trade union delegate conference called by the Tower Hamlets Health District Joint Shop Stewards Committee on September 14 decided to step up the picketing and mobilise building workers unions in particular for this purpose.

But the main resolution put to the conference offered no way forward whatever.

Supported by an amalgam of forces including the followers of "Militant' and the Socialist Workers Party it called for a local half-day strike, stronger picketing and pressure on union executives to act.

Several speakers echoed this kind of approach, speaking of the need to 'bombard Parliament with telegrams' and organise support from the community at large.

In the discussion it became clear that every kind of phrase would be used to avoid the political HEL SEPT 20 Ennals -cutting hospitals questions posed by the setbacks suffered in the fight to defend Bett nal Green under its pres ent East Rather than a fight to defend Bethnal Green as part of the struggle against capitalism which has created the crisis in the health service, one speaker called for a 'general campaign' against 'certain people' with a particular dislike of the East End of London.

He proposed the slogan "Don't let the East End become a Dead End".

Ian Burge, chairman of the Joint Shop Stewards and a supporter of 'Militant' argued against the reopening of the casualty department and operating theatre, since under the policy of the government the reversal of one cut would only mean a cut somewhere else!

In this way he was able to set aside the struggle against the cuts now in favour of abstract talk about the need for "socialism'.

But these attempts to postpone the need for a sharp struggle and to substitute protest gestures were not accepted by many delegates, who spoke of the need for a sharp fight in the health service trade unions ' at national and divisional, as well as local levels.

Strike a There was concern that the trade unions be committed to specific strike action and not vague pledges of support.

It was clear that many delegates understood far better than their 'leaders' that the mobilisation of the strength of the organised working class was a first step on the road to defending the health service.

One speaker took up the need for the London-wide coordination of hospital struggles, and representatives were present from the actions that had taken place at the Elizabeth Garrett HILO everywhere, not just the East End. Anderson Hospital, the Emergency Beds Service, and the Hounslow, Whipps Cross and St. Nicholas Hospitals as well as from several health areas.

This was despite attempts to restrict the conference to local' organisations.

A resolution (which the chairman bureaucratically refused to take as an amendment to the main motion) calling on the health unions to organise immediately for all out strike action to force the reopening of the closed sections at Bethnal Green was moved by a trade union delegate and member of the Workers Socialist League.

It received strong support and was only narrowly defeated after a recount. Socialist Workers Party and "Militant' supporters opposed it on the grounds that it was not 'realistic' A second resolution calling on the Joint Shop Stewards Committee to organise an all-London meeting of health shop stewards was overwhelmingly passed.

It is now important that workers who wish to defend the health service make sure this conference takes place and starts the fight for strike action and policies necessary against the union leadership and the supporters of lame 'protest' colours Labour's Secretary of State for Health and Social Security, David Ennals, visited Oxford last Wednesday to see how best he can help the Area Health Authority give the kiss of death to Cowley Road Hospital. -The closure plan will mean a drastic reduction in the number of beds available to geriatric patients in the area and will eliminate day hospital and rehabilitation facilities for the elderly.

The closure plans have already led to widespread public protest, much of which surfaced at a stormy public meeting a few days before Ennals' visit when 400 packed into the Co-op Hall to let the AHA know the strength of the opposition to the closure.

Members of the Oxford City Nursery Campaign raised the need to plan for occupation of the hospital if the closure goos ahead.

When Ennals arrived at the hospital last Wednesday he was mot by a lobby of local trade unionists and members of the JTUC.

Later in the evening Ennals spoke at a public meeting called by the local Labour Party.

Ennals devoted most of his speech to ritual Tory-bashing, though it became clear that the differences between him and Keith Joseph are far narrower than the gap between his abuse of the health sarvice and genuine socialist policies.

This emerged most clearly when a delegate to the Oxford City Labour Party GMC tried to bring in Ennals' record over the last four years and attacked him on the struggles around Hounslow Hospital, Bethnal Green and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital.

The chairman tried to silence the speaker when it was revealed that the Labour government has continued the infamous Barber cuts of the last Tory adminis. tration to the tune of £900 million in the last four years.

On private medicine he said that he believed that people with money had the right to decide how to spend it.

On nationalisation he said that he welcomed private companies milking huge profits from the state sector "provided that their prices are not too extor. tionate"!

He also passed off the occupation at Bethnal Green as "sentimentality" on the part of staff and local people. Though deliberately evasive on the question of Cowley Road it was clear that he was prepared to back the AHA to the hilt.

The fight against the cuts must now be stepped up both in the public sector unions and in the Labour Party.

In Oxfordshire the level of militancy amongst workers in the health service is clearly demonstrated at Longworth Hospital, where COHSE has achieved 100% unionisation over the last three months since closure plans were announced.

----- pull-quotes -----

ENNALS OUT! NO MORE HOSPİTAL CUTSIIE

SAVE THEIE! PHOTO: Derek Speirs, IFL