[The Sandwell Committee Against the Cuts has established…]

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The Sandwell Committee Against the Cuts has established a significant base among workers in the area.

The basis of the committee is the alliance formed over the last three years by the Sandwell Direct Works Department shop stewards, and the Sandwell Tenants Liaison Committee.

It has now attracted delegations from the three local Trades Councils, the NUT, NUPE, and some local Labour councillors, and has been able to exert some influence on the Labour council.

The council meeting before last had to be abandoned because of the number of anti-cuts protestors.

And although the last meeting went ahead, (ringed by police) the Labour group leadership was afraid to press ahead with the annual budget because of the danger of splits over cuts in services and rate and rent But the Labour group has now been whipped into line and it seems certain that the next Council meeting will vote for £3½ million cuts and approximately £3 per week extra rents and rates for each household.

Mass lobby

The cuts committee will organise a mass lobby of this meeting-but no-one expects the Labour group to retreat.

This makes it essential that the Cuts Committee finally resolves the long-standing debate over rate and rent increases.

The NUT and some councillors have argued against cuts but in favour of rate and rent rises. The tenants argued for no rises.

it is clear that the only basis for a united struggle by tenants and council workers against the whole policy of cutting public spending and attacking workers living standards is the no rate and rent rise position.

Around this policy a combination of rate and rent strikes, and strikes and occupations against closures and cuts can be developed and directed against those councillors and trade union bureaucrats who are full of "no cuts" talk, but won't lift a finger to prevent them.