Occupation Halts New York Hospital Closure I Labor News

Scan page 10

Police wade into Harlem hospital occupiers After nearly a ten day occupation and an attack by dozens of police, New York Democrat Carey said he would find the funds to prevent the shutdown of the Sydenham Hospital in Harlem, New York. The occupation which was supported hundreds of by workers and youth including AFS-CME Local 429 and many other unions had massive support.

Democratic mayor Koch along with most of the capitalists were stunned by Carey's cave in. The Wall Street Journal lamented that the politicians had caved into charges of racism by the community and pressure politics. This could set a "bad" example of how to stop the cutbacks the Journal worried.

The struggle to keep the hospital open in the black community of Harlem has been going on for over five years and the city budget cuts have been used as a pretext to completely close the facility but for now it is not to be.

Shows the This important victory shows the way to closures in every area from hospitals, schools and firehouses. The rank and file of the municipal workers unions which actively backed the occupation should now demand that their unions fight for this as a policy in every area of New York. are asked to make the sacrifices when the employers call for redundancies and for wage increases to be kept below the rate of inflation. No consideration is given to the social havoc created in local communities by these measures. Demand that companies open their books and prove the state of their finances. Find out why they are in trouble. Then we can put forward our answers to the crisis. 6. Fight back against the redundancies.

The flood of redundancies has been so great, as one industry after another has collapsed that it has demoralised many trade unionists. A fight back has to be started. No more redundancies. Work sharing with no loss of pay should be demanded.

7. Work sharing and retraining:

Fighting for a shorter working week, longer holidays and an earier retirement age helps protect jobs and leads to an improvement in lifestyles if they are coupled with no loss of earnings and an improvement in leisure facilities. Similarly with overtime working. New technology makes these demands doubly important but they have also to be linked to manpower and retraining agreements where there is the introduction of new technology. 8. For an alternative economic programme for the labour movement.

This crisis is a crisis of the capitalist system and as such can only be solved by changing the system or allowing greater unemployment and a drastic cut in living standards. The Tories have chosen the latter path and any change can only take place after the Tory government is removed. Then it is a question of replacing them with a government which is prepared to change the system. We call upon affiliated branches to fight to ensure the development of such an alternative economic programme.

Scan page 11

SOCIALIST PRESS. Heinesdas 3S Ocster:st3 DON'T GO-INTO NONSERIAL NEWS HEJIGHT BUNDFOLDE 1.81 =

MERSEYSIDE

FACTORY CLOSURES - Fisher Bendix Leyland Dunlop Meccano Why eampaigns voro lost d how they ear be