[-FICIAL PICKET ANTCROSS! Things are certainly changing in…]

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-FICIAL PICKET ANTCROSS!

Things are certainly changing in the old IPCS!

The monumental civil service pay dispute has resulted in an overwhelming conviction (with one vote against) that the pay campaign should be escalated, it necessary, and that the unity of the Council of Civil Service Unions be retained.

Moves to oppose all-out or one-week action at the outset of the conference were defeated, with the NEC realising such action may well be the final outcome of the dispute.

Political

There were some echoes the old times however.

A motion proposed by We indy Frankland, one of thi : IPCS British Library de egates, on the siting of US Cruise mi siles in Britain was "'next bur inessed" for being overtly political.

But discussion of women's rights at work and a call for maternity leave for adoptive parents was carried without the usual sexist baracking (except for female delegates heckling sexist comments from male delegates!)

Picketing A demonstration was held to show solidarity with those on strike in the pay dispute which shocked the streets of Harrogate. Also coachloads of delegates went out early each morning to join the mass picketing at the Shipley computer centre.

Fraternal delegates fro the other CCSU unions and delegations of strikers from Faslane got spontaneous standing ovations-and by the end of the conference speakers were being cheered rather than booed for refering to "brothers and sisters"

There was a larger than average attendance at the "IPCS Left' fringe meeting, addressed by an IPCS member who is a Labour councillor.

And there was a new determination to consolidate the organisation with the regular production of a bulletin and a national meeting in the autumn.

As one of the decisions of the main conference was to cease production of the official (but moribund) IPCS journal "State Service" 'IPCS Left' may well find an increased circulation!

In the midst of touring the hotel rooms of right wing union leaders and making witch-hunting speeches from conference platforms, Dennis Healey has at last found time to submit his own application to join a trade union.

For years he has been a member of the scab Institute of Journalists. .

Now, according to an article in The Leveller magazine he has applied to join the NUJ. He claims an income from journalism of £500 a week for columns in the popular press and photographs.

But he declared himself reluctant to submit his resignation to the strikebreaking IOJ in case his NUJ application was "blocked by a load of Trots"

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NUJ ebui