[About 80 people who attended a public meeting…]
Socialist Press1978 1978-09-27Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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About 80 people who attended a public meeting last Tuesday to oppose the proposed closure of Longworth geriatric Hospital, Oxfordshire, were told by COHSE steward Vi Fear of the workers' policy to occupy the hospital. She called for supporting strike action from other health service unions in the area.
This was backed by a COHSE official who was praised for his support of the Hounslow Occupation by a speaker from "Fightback"
She spoke of the success of the occupation, with widespread union backing, before the raid by the AHA, but omitted to mention the lack of strike action which could have saved the hospital.
The Witney Trades Council chairman who spoke from the platform stressed the importance of publicity in the campaign to keep Longworth open.
Supporting action
But a NUPE member from the South Oxford Nursery Campaign, which had led a seven-week occupation, stressed that without full supporting action, publicity alone was ineffective.
A steward from British Leyland's Cowley factories pointed to the massive profits made by the drug companies and building firms at a time when the AHA was pleading lack of funds.
He called for an investigation by a committee of workers into those companies, and endorsed the COHSE call for supporting industrial action, receiving an enthusiastic response from the meeting.
The fight for labour movement action to keep Longworth and Cowley Road Hospitals open is now being taken to the Oxford Joint Trades Union Committee and the Oxford Trades Council. The last Garners support conference.