Ambulance drivers head new round of action on pay

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the resistance organised by the Committee they have been forced to look elsewhere.

Fearing a similar reaction from local hospital workerswho have so far fought successfully against the closure of St. Mary's general hospital, Harrow Road, they have avoided announcing the normal six months consultation period by calling this a 'temporary closure' although they have no intention of opening St Columba's again.

Workers and stewards at St. Columba's are holding meetings this week in which they are preparing action to fight the closure.

Occupation

It is obvious that an occupation of the hospital under workers' control is the only move which will save this hospital, along with supporting action organised amongst local hospital workers and other trade unionists.

This attempted closure must not be seen in isolation.

St. Columba's has been singled out partly because of the successful resistance to cuts in other parts of the district.

The AHA are forced to make cuts through the Callaghan government's policy of enforcThe strike by ambulance drivers in London, Manchester, Somerset and Aberdeen last Wednesday has sparked off a new round of action over pay amongst health workers.

Over two thirds of the London service had a complete stoppage and this quickly spread to other areas of the countryalthough the Aberdeen dirvers had begun their action two days earlier.

By Wednesday morning, two London children's hospitalsGreat Ormond Street and Queen Elizabeth's, Hackney, had pledged to come out for three days over pay and in support of the ambulance drivers, and the Westminster Hospital had a complete one day stoppage.

Sabotage It is now obvious that health workers are determined to fight for a substantial wage increasedespite the repeated attempts of their own leadership to sabotage and isolate the struggle, with their policy of "selective action".

The leadership of the "low pay campaign" is now hopelessly split, caught between the forces of their own membership on the one hand and a confrontation with the government on the other.

Although up to now they have managed to maintain a united front in attempting to sell out the wage claim, they are now in a hopeless dilemma, with NUPE recommending rejection of the 9%, GMWU and TGWU calling for acceptance, and COHSE making no recommendation at all.

Step up action

Health workers must. sweep aside this indecision and step up the action in pursuit of the full pay claim.

It is now vital that the main weapon of the bureaucracythat of isolating individual strikes and demoralising the membership-is fought against through the building of joint strike committees.

A step in this direction has been taken by the Kensington, Westminster and Chelsea area JSSC who have called an allLondon meeting for health service stewards on Friday 2 March to coordinate future action on pay in the health service.

Mirror, Star, Sun and Daily Mail.

The Daily Express attempted to resolve this contradiction by praising Charles for saying something about the crisis while deferentially suggesting that he might have let the unions off a bịt lightly.

The Mirror (Charles the pale pink Prince) praised him. Only the Sun launched into the attack with the blunt headline: Charles puts his foot in it.

In its editorial comment (A proper Charlie) the paper said:

"Sadly when he talks about complex industrial problems, the Heir to the Throne simply doesn't know what he is talking about."

By the next day positions had firmed up. The Mirror led on a story headed Brother Charles, about council workers who called off a work to rule for his visit because of his speech.

While the thunder of this row rolled up and down Fleet Street raising Important Issues of the Heir to the Throne and Royal Impartiality, the woman herself was living it up in the She covered her legs with Islam modesty and her boat Britannia with gold and silver. While British workers were The conference is at Westminster Hospital and is being supported by Westminster Trades Council.

The conference can help to maximise the strength and determination of health workers in rejecting the 9% offer and fighting for the £60/35 hour week claim. It must prepare for a campaign of coordinated, indefinite strike action in London hospitals, with emergency services, and supplies being controlled by local strike committees. being told to tighten their belts she gave away to the heads of six gulf states solid silver salvers worth £15,000 each-a total hand-out of £90,000.

In return she receivedaccording to the Mirror and Express-a gold palm tree studded with pearls, a gold fruit bowl on a stand of diamond encrusted horses; two gold necklaces with amethysts and sapphires, a diamond studded watch, a ruby brooch, a goldmesh dress and matching handbag, a gold coffee jug with two goblets studded with stones, a double string of pearls as big as marbles and a two foot high solid silver model of a fishing boat.

Prince Philip had to make do with three gold swords decorated with: rubies and diamonds.

Next Thursday is Maundy Thursday-a day on which the Queen traditionally hands out pennies to the British poor. Unfortunately she has run into a slight problem of communication.

- That is how to explain to hundreds of thousands of low paid workers why they should accept a measly few quid while the Queen and her Arab dignitaries give each other, baubles worth more than £1 million,