A unique forum for discussion on the cuts

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"Today's conference is very different from the endless one day conferences on the cuts called by the union officials.

They blame 'apathy'and particularly the "apathy' of women workers-for their own refusal to fight. Yet women, searching for means to develop their struggles are leaving behind them the union bureaucrats in their swamp of pessimism and gloom.

Today we are not going to hear their excuses for inaction. We are going to hear experiences of struggles against the cuts.

We have things to learn. It is not enough simply to work out simple slogans. We must face the problems of fighting for these policies. We can make a start on that here.

With these words Anne Marie Sweeney, a delegate from Oxford Trades Council, opened the afternoon session of the Cuts Conference jointly convened by the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement and Socialist Organiser.

And indeed the 300-strong Part of the 300-strong audience conference did bring together a unique wealth of experience in the struggle for action to stem the Tory onslaught on jobs, conditions and services.

A major discussion point was the fight for rate and rent stres to oppose the average 30% increases being forced through by Heseltine and in many cases by Labour councils doing the Tories' job for them.

While veteran campaigner Charlie Taylor brought in an Alisdair Jamison account of the struggles of St. Pancras Labour councillors against the 1957 Rent Act and the subsequent rent strike movement, other • speakers from tenants organisations in various parts of London, Basingstoke, Coventry, Cambuslang and Paisley outlined the fight to mobilise tenants in struggle against Thatcher.

There were reports from hospital occupations at Longworth and St. Benedicts; of nursery occupations and campaigns; from the fight to defend the school meals service; of the problems in defending Direct Labour Organisations; and from the battle against the right wing of the teaching unions to defend education.

Such contributions by no means simply idealised the struggles taking place: in almost every case they attempted to assess the relative strengths, weaknesses and political probCharlie Taylor Neil Turner lems of these actions. Some raised questions which time did not allow to be properly answered.

But the conference did vote to endorse the general line of a booklet submitted by the Organising Committee incorporating proposals for action on rate/rent strikes, nurseries, education and the NHS.

Kate White Kate White The biggest ovation of the day was given to Longworth Hospital Occupation Committee speaker Kate White, who made a moving appeal for action to defend the young, the old and the sick who cannot fight for themselves.

Condemning the inactivity of union leaders and the role of Labourite AHA chairperson Lady McCarthy, Kate asked:

"What has happened to the top ones in the Labour Party? They're all in with management, and more like the Tories than the Tories themselves."

Though the Longworth occupation is at present suspended, the fight there is far from over, she stressed.

Her questions about the Labour Party leadership were amplified by Longworth occupation supporter Dr Ken Williamson.

As a GP and a member of MPU/ASTMS Williamson has played an important role in the fight to defend not only Long-

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