Coventry nursery fight: occupation ended-battle

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speeded up and that the cam- the cuts is establishing that the mented in Coventry by the paign must redouble its efforts starting point must be the asser- Labour council. to press forward its central tion of what is needed, not demand of "re-opening the assessing what we can get out of verbal support given to the camschool at the start of next term the capitalist state.

The investigation is also seen before the occupation be made as an important way of drawing into a reality.

Four hours after the occu- in further support-both piers were evicted, over 100 directly, from parents of course, all unions have a direct supporters of the campaign nursery age children, and from interest in the fight for nursery, marched from the school to the trade unions, shop stewards places and against the cuts.

Since the last issue of Socialist Press the occupation of Wheatley Street Nursery School in Coventry has ended.

No doubt because of the widespread support which the campaign against the school's closure has generated from the final hours of occupation the Labour Council lost no time in obtaining a possession order and carrying out the repossession of the building.

It should be noted in fact that the Labour Council moved to end the occupation more quickly than any council has in other nursery occupations.

The decision by the council to lock the building a few hours after the occupation began should also be brought out for all workers to know about.

Here was a Labour council which only last December held a fraud of a conference to supposedly plan a co-ordinated fight against the cuts by councils throughout the country-taking the decision to lock people into a building!

Despite appeals for at least one door to be left open as a fire exit, this Labour Council locked the doors and simply visited the occupation every morning at 8.00 a.m. to find out "if anyone wanted to be let out"

It was decided in advance of the bailiffs' arrival to withdraw from the building at that point EXCLUSIVE A row has broken out over an international conspiracy to subvert working class organisations.

Today -after an investigation lasting several minutes-Socialist and to continue from the outside.

A picket of the school was immediately established in order to prevent any attempt by the council to remove the furniture and other equipment.

The campaign has received a letter from the Deputy Education Officer giving an undertaking that no furniture or equipment will be removed from the school in advance of a decision by Secretary of State Mark Carlisle on the application for closure made by the Labour The letter also states that the Council would he legallv obliged to re-open the school at the start of next term if Carlisle's decision has not been made by that date.

After months of asking for such a written statement and getting no response it is clear that the campaign's support is worrying the Council.

However, it is also clear that Carlisle's decision is likely to be fully staffed and equipped with no loss of pupil places. tigation the City.

It is involved 11 -JULY Education offices singing and chanting slogans.

The high spirits on the march reflected very strongly the feeling outlined on a leaflet distributed alongside the march that "the Council may have won a battle but they have not won the war"

Petition The campaign's momentum has continued and grown since the eviction took place.

Regular Saturday sessions in the ritu nrerinet. have heen established-where hundreds have signed a petition to the council supporting the demand to re-open the school, calling for an emergencv council meeting to reverse the decision to close it, deploring the eviction and calling for a public inquiry into the council's plans for the school site.

Alongside this the Nursery Campaign has launched an invesinto nursery needs in argued by all those that part of fighting committees, etc., who are being asked to help in the enquiry.

fram the ctort NITPA GOVA its full support to the occupation and it is important that that support is made concrete in the weeks ahead.

It is no accident that it is NUPE which has given the strongest. support. statements. The members of this union face the most savage attacks on jobs and services launched by the Tory government and impleIt is also important that the paign by the NUT and NALGO Wider than these unions, of Rally As we reported in the last Socialist Press the occupation won the support of a wide section: of Coventry's Labour Party and the campaign's supporters there are deepening their The campaign is demanding that an emergency council meeting be held to reverse the decision to close Wheatley Street and all councillors are being urged to take up that call.

In particular the rebel? councillors who defied the Labour whip in the last counci meeting and voted against school meal price increases have a responsibility to take up this demand.

Some of the 'rebels' gave their full support during the occupation.

As we go to press a lobby is being held of the Labour Group support of Wheatley Street of councillors to press forward the campaign's demand for a change of policy.

A major fight is already taking place in the Labour Party over the cuts which are being implemented.

The Wheatley Street occupation and campaign is one of the sharp edges in the fight against the cuts in Coventry.

Indications immediately after the occupation are that the Coventry Nursery Campaign (Wheatley Street) can generate enough support to reverse the closure and has already laid a firm basis for the development of the struggle over other cuts.

Further details of the campaign can be obtained from:

Coventry Nursery Campaign (Wheatley Street); 37 Beaconsfield Road, Coventry.,