Xavier: make NUPE wage a real fight!

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DONATIONS of poultry, game, Scotch and reading matter assisted the determined üght of BPC Journalists, who maintained their occupation oi a sixth-floor office throughout the Christmas holiday.

They are fighting in defence of jobs at one BPC company, MacDonald Futura, where management want to sack 25% of the editorial staff.

The occupation needs moral and financial support. Contributions and messages should be sent to the BPC chapel, c/o NUJ Book Branch, Acorn House, 314 Grays Inn Road, London WC1. Cheques should be made payable to MacDonald Educational NUJ Chapel.

UNION

A mass demonstration has been called by NUPE for January 13 to demand the reinstatement of Conway Xavier, chairman of the union's London Divisional Council.

Xavier was sacked without notice from his job as Deputy Head Porter at Great Ormond Street Hospital at the beginning of December.

Strike action in his defence by NUPE members at the hospital was sabotaged by scabbing organised by the hospital's Head Porter-who is chairman of the local COHSE branch!

No strike call NUPE officials gave extend the strike tead his case has gon H'MMM, WELL WE THOUGHT ONE SPECIFIC DAY MIGHT ENCOURAGE STRIKES!.. 10 call action;

to an appeal to the governors of the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

But the strong feeling on the issue-the sacking is a blatant instance of victimisation of a leading militant-has continued to develop.

A special issue of NUPE's London Divisional newspaper "Capital" has been produced to publicise the case and lend weight to the campaign for the mass picket and lobby on January 13-the day of the appeal.

There are reports that coachloads of miners from South Yorkshire and Kent will be among those on the protest.

But though "Capital" calls for support for the demonstration and for workplace meetings, it makes no explicit call for strike action on January 13.

This fight is being taken up the newly established NOT THESE - FOR EXAMPLE, THERES ONE FROM STERLWORKERS DEMANDING ACTION TO SAVE JOBS - ANOTHER FROM SEAMEN OPPOSING I.&O. FERRY CLOSURES, AND A PILE OF PROTESTS AGAINST THE LATEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT CUTS...

EVEN A WEEK° TWO M lIGHT CAUS SOME S TOPPAGES.

So... London Health Service Combine Committee, which meets on 6 January to discuss the fight for one-day strike action.

Already NUPE members at Moorfields Eye Hospital are committed to strike on January 13.

Fisher and other NUPE leaders are making militant noises over the Xavier sacking. But NUPE's appalling record of inaction while health service militants have been victimised throughout the London area in the past two years has plainly encouraged management to take this latest step.

Full support must be mobilised for the demonstration and one-day strikes: and if necessary NUPE must call all-out action to demand Xavier's reinstatement and force a halt to the management purge of militants.

ALRIGHT! FETCM ME MY RUBBER STAMP, WOMAN: LEN AND THE T.U.C. LADS HAVE GOT A WHOLE CAMPAIGN AFOOT TO ANSWER THIS! ...WE'VE DECIDED TO CALL A WHOLE YEAR OF ACTION, DIFFUSED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY!!!

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Re-call Conference, 17 January at the Central Hall, Westminster, London W1 Delegates welcome from trade union branches and regions, trades councils, CLPs, Labour groups and shop stewards committees. Credentials from: Labour Local Government in Crisis Conference, Room 103, Lambeth ISS Government in Crisis: National and Trade Union Conference Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London SW2.

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BPC orke sit tight