CPSA officers victimised

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circular-which late in until mid-August.

The NEC authorised three refuse to implement the recomThe Department of Employment have sacked Phil Cordell and Richard Cleverley, two CPSA branch officers at the Brixton Unemployment Benefit office.

The two have been sacked for taking time off work to attend a picket of the CPSA National Executive Committee at the height of the 1979 pay campaign and to attend the lobby of Parliament on 5 January this year against the Corrie Bill.

The other charge against Cordell was sponsoring a newspaper advertisement against the National Front and signing it as CPSA Branch Secretary, Brixton Unemployment Benefits Office.

Cleverley's other offence was taking one extra day's holiday without booking it in advance.

These offences are minor and the sackings are clearly a political attack on the CPSA and part of the Tory government's strategy to weaken unions in all industries and to break down all effective opposition to its policies.

The Brixton UBO subbranch has a record of effective unofficial and official strike action on pay, public spending cuts and suspensions.

In the 1979 pay campaign they took one week's unofficial action as well as supporting the two days official action.

They have also taken strike action for improvement in the local office accommodation which is appalling. Over 120 staff work in the office but the Branch officers have calculated that there is room in the premises for only a third of the number.

There is infestation fleas and lice.

Largest

It is the largest unemployment benefit office in South London with approaching 8,000 unemployed registered and a high turnover of staff.

After a two year campaign on accommodation there has been considerable improvement.

It has been clear from the start of the campaign for the reinstatement of Cordell and Cleverley that the right wing 'Daylight' NEC and the full time officers are determined to sell out the dispute.

They organised a Day of Action on June 13, the day of Cordell's sacking, which was intended to divert from all-out strike action.

There was no instruction for strike action. Instead a CPSA getting to branches-stated: Was "Stoppages can take the form of whatever action is decided by a members' meeting, June. extending from a protest meeting in official hours to all-out industrial action for that day"

Despite this, there was a good response with a SUU-strong demonstration and rally in Brixton, and thousands of civil servants on strike throughout the country.

Absence

90% of government offices in Scotland were closed on that day. At the rally on 13 June CPSA President Kate Losinska and her NEC were conspicuous by their absence.

Full time officers Alistair Graham and Terry Ainsworth from the platform stressed the necessity for postponing strike action until after the Civil Service Appeal Board hearing.

Cordell, Cleverley and several other speakers from the floor said that no faith should be put in the Civil Service Appeal Board and the industrial tribunal and that strike action was the only way that reinstatement would be won. The rally passed the following motion:

•This meeting agrees that Brixton UBO should be brought out indefinitely until Cleverley and Cordell are reinstated"

3-day strike Cleverley was sacked days' strike action at Brixton on June 25-27 and called for protest meetings in the af the country.

The Brixton members were dissatisfied with this anu at a meeting on June 27 voted to stay out on unofficial strike for another week.

A week later they met again and voted to stay out for a further week.

The unofficial "Brixton UBO Campaign for Trade Union Rights" have organised a levy to pay full pay to the strikers.

Condemned

Management have responded by employing •20 casuals to do oiner prades asu doing clerical work.

The response of Ken Thomas, CPSA General Secretary, was to issue an all members circular condemning the un off tal sike! states that the industrial action authorised by the NEC has been "considerable" and says that no further action will be sanctioned until after the Civil Service Appeal Board which does not meet Thomas says that, if the Civil Service Appeal Board recommends reinstatement, and if the Department of Employment mendation, CPSA will then go to an Industrial Tribunal and then strike action would be anpropriate.

He says that industrial action now would be:

"a waste of members' resources by depleting the fighting fund at a time when it is necessary to conserve our resources for the battles which lie ahead on public expenditure cuts and our pay claim in 1981".

The unofficial campaign, though they have worked hard, have failed to put pressure on the unofficial union leadership.

The 'left' Department of Employment Section Executive have been very lax in not calling an emergency meeting.

CPSA branches must bombard Thomas and the NRC, calling for the withdrawal of his circular and demanding immediate strike action.

No illusions There should be no illusions in the Civil Service Appeal Board and the industrial tribunal.

The campaign urgently needs money and donations should be made payable to "Brixton UBO Campaign for Trade Union Rights" and sent to 16 Knowlton House, Cowley Estate, Cowley Road, LONDON SW9. that the DHSS are organising 1½ days' "attitude training" for each local DHSS officer.

There has been little mention of resistance to the new Bill from the right wing CPSA leadership. In fact Kate Losinska, CPSA President, manoeuvred all discussion on the Social Security No. 2 Bill off the CPSA conference agenda.

It is essential that the civil service unions and claimants unions organise action against the Bill, linking up with other workers public and Drivate secto is satact or to down government.

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rotests no answe to unemployment The complete bankruptcy and cowardice of the public sector union leaders in the struggle against the cuts was confirmed at a mass meeting of the kitchen staff employed by the Humberside Education