Step up Hospital Strikes

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Hospital workers Hospital workers remain for the remain demand in the front rank the front rank of the of the point. struggle against low pay, with some of the most militant action being taken in the London area.

At St. Andrews Hospital ir Bow, workers have now been on strike for two weeks, while one week strikes at St. Mary's Hospital, W9 and St Charlos Hospital began on Monday 4 February.

One day strikes have also been held at Great Ormond Street and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hackney, while the Westminster group was halted for almost one week by a struggle against victimisation arising out of "selective" action.

With virtually every hospital now having begun some form of action-even if only a work to rule or a go-slow-the struggle £60/35 hour week is at à crucial turning The harder and faster the strikes are escalated, the quicker the full claim can be won. * If the fight is not stepped up to the level of all-out strike action, with emergency cover controlled by strike committees, then under the fire of the huge press witch-hunt, there is a growing danger of dwindling morale and action fizzling out.

This is why since last autumn Socialist Press has consistently opposed the suicidal and divisive strategy of "selective" strikes peddled by NUPE and other public sector We have also fought to broaden and spread the strikes through the fight to unite strike committees and to build councils of action in each area to unite the labour movement in Fisher-his policy of selective strikes creates damaging divisions the struggle against low pay and, the • reactionary Callaghan government.

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workers' control IRELAND committee two reached decisions.

One was to set up a committee composed of meals on wheels and home helps (two sections closely interlinked in caring for bed ridden patients) to vet patients and decide what was an emergency; and the second was to put this to a mass meeting of home helps on after are gravely ill,' but we should control service to themnot management.

Even if the strike committee eventually decided to maintain servíce to all patients it should be done under the control of the committee and not management.

I felt that each home help area should organise their own committee the meals on wheels stewards were adamantly sticking to their decision of 'all out or all back' Whilst could sympathise with their militancy they were taking away that vital element of workers' control and presenting the reactionaries and oppor tunists with an argument to call the strike off altogether. sight of.

Instead the secretary took up a right winger's suggestion that home helps should be made exempt..

Of course in this fever pitch the women: voted that this proposal should be put to the strike committee.

What happened at the committee meeting? TROOPS OUT