Coventry lobby

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Labour councillors who voted to implement massive cuts in social expenditure in Coventry last Tuesday had to run the gauntlet of over 300 workers lobbying the meeting outside.

The lobby, organised by the Trades Council, heard speeches from a number of trade union branches and the Coventry South East Labour Party.

As each councillor arrived they were met with a steady chant of 'No cuts' Explain Each Labour councillor was offered the use of a microphone to explain to the lobby their attitude to the cuts they were about to implement.

None was prepared to speak to the lobby.' Coventry Trades Council has organised an energetic campaign against the cuts.

It has set up a special Public Sector Liaison Committee which has produced a bulletin detailing the cuts locally.

All trade union branches have been asked to produce regular reports of the effect of the cuts on the areas they cover.

At its August meeting the Trades Council passed a motion calling for the holding of a local conference to co-ordinate the fight against the cuts and to discuss the policies necessary for that fight.

Opposition

The readiness of the Labour Council to implement the cuts has met with opposition within the local Labour Parties.

The South East Constituency has voted total opposition to the cuts and alongside the Trades Council has called for a local conference.

At the lobby Dave Nellist from the South East CLP and a Militant' supporter called for: the rescinding of the Council's debt and the building of a mass Still post WSL Hill, His call for the removal of the Tory government brought the biggest cheer of the evening -the speech did not refer specifically to the need for strike action against the cuts.

Alongside the demand for the rescinding of the Council debt and opposition to rate increases the demand for strike action must be the central focus of the anti-cuts fight.

That is why the single most important development in the fight in Coventry is the policy adopted by the NUPE Central Branch to strike against the cuts under the following conditions: if any NUPE member is sacked; if any non-union temporary workers are taken on; or if the NUPE workers' bonus scheme is interfered with.

At the lobby NUPE chairman Joe Little threatened to "close down Coventry" if his members were sacked.

The Trades Council must fight now for branches to take up the policy of strike action against the cuts.

If NUPE workers go into action there múst be immediate supporting strikes from other sections.

The Trades Council bulletin can provide an extremely vital focus for building united action against the cuts.

Socialist

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