Fighting Camden's rate rise plan

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wage control, cuts and redundancies Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Milton Keyn attacked, that the only focus could be against central government.

West Ham Trades Council has undertaken to call conference with Newham North East Labour i workers march against cuts "week of action" from 20 October-giving virtually no notice, and themselves doing nothing to mobilise any action.

But militants in Newham and in other boroughs must not be held back by such manoeuvres from their leaders.

Rather, the fight must be kept up in those areas to mobilise effective action in the form of strikes and occupations against the cuts.

The pressure must be kept up to force these labour movement bodies into action.

This will involve the long overdue throwing out of traitors whose aim is to strangle rather than develop the independent strength of the working class.

Camden Trades Council held their 200strong launching confer:

ence on 10 October, to fight the Tory cuts.

resolution was presented to the meeting by the Executive of the Trades Council on how to fight the cuts.

It consisted of a list of the usual Stalinist diversions of torch-light vigils and market rallies.

Four Socialist Press supporters from local Labour Parties proposed several amendments:

*that Camden Council should immediately refuse to implement cuts in public service and refuse to raise rates.

*that hospitals under threat of closure should be occupied and supported by local strike action.

*the co-ordinating committee proposed in the EC resolution should be extended to represent a wider cross-section of the Camden labour movement.

The chairman accepted these amendments but only after Christine Livingstone from Hampstead GMC was asked to put her amendment which proposed deleting a phrase at the end of a sentence saying "Camden Council should not put up rents or make other charges to put the burden of the Tory cuts on the working class"

"Other charges"

. The offending words for Ms Livingstone were "any other charges" because she interpreted this to mean rates.

She went on to explain that although Camden's Labour Councillors were pledged to refuse to implement cuts this meant they had to raise rates.

The night before there had been a meeting of the Labour Local Government Committee where this amendment had been voted on and carried 17-5.

It was said at this meeting that if the LGC lost the amendment at the conference they would withdraw RATES:

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a manoeuvre Council to "We need the Tories stressed. The will respond leadership to to do this.

Unis controution was met with enthusiastic applause.

The chairman of the meeting, CP member Roy Dunnett, however, refused to accept an amendment from Socialist Press supporters, demanding no rate rise.

Instead resolution statement charges'.

This line up was no accident. It is common knowiedge among Labour LGC members that the right wing chairman of St. Pancras North Labour Party David Webster held prior informal talks with Communist Party members on the trades council.

They agreed that the Labour councillors were not at fault over the cuts and therefore supported rate John Suddaby, secretary of Camden General NUPE branch and leading member of the IMG moved a resolution on behalf of NUPE shop stewards committee.

This resolution supported Camden Council's stand on the cuts and went on to say that yearly rate rises were not the answer.

But Suddaby went on to explain he didn't necessarily mean the conference should oppose rate rises in the next financial year-but it should 'wait and see how the campaign had gone by then, and if it hadn't mobilised enough support, • then Camden Council would have 'no other choice'. from the campaign.

Many. delegates spoke strongly against the proposal by Camden Labour Council to raise the ratesincluding George Lobo, a member of the CPSA NEC.

Graham Shurety, a Labour Party member and supporter of Socialist Press correctly stated this was inst by Camden subsidise the to confront now" he working ; class if given the step forward the campaign's remained a vague about *other .75 £6.00 :11.00 £6.50 £8.00

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