Public Sector Anger on Pay
Socialist Press1981 1981-06-18Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 8 →
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Ambulance crews in various parts of the country have now added their unofficial strikes to the tally of public sector stoppages on pay.
Militant walkouts by ambulance drivers have begun well in Scotland and London ahead of the official one-day stoppage on Wednesday.
They represent an advance warning to the government that Britain's 17,000 ambulance staff, do not intend to accept a pay increase which is more than 10% lower than that of the fire service and the police.
The willingness of the crews to take all-out action, with no emergency cover, is plainly the outcome of their bitter experiences of being manipulated by management and scabbed upon by the army during their last pay dispute.
In many cases manning levels are so depleted that the service is already down to virtually "emergency cover" only.
Meanwhile 530,000 civil servants, whose selective strikes have been paralysing all kinds of things-from airports to passport offices; from VAT collection to radar detection-are completing a process of mass meetings to vote on the next stage of their 15-week old dispute.
The three options on offer from their leaders are:
*An all-out strike without strike pay-which would block all dole and benefit payments;
*Continue with selective action, financed by an increased levy; or *Capitulate to the government's 7% offer.
All nine unions are recommending that their members reject the final option -while officials plainly favour an extension of the partial strikes rather than mobilise an all-out stoppage.
The fact is that only an all-out strike-with a corresponding demand for solidarity blacking action and skilful positioning of flying pickets-can bring this dispute to a favourable and speedy outcome.
Such strike action should however be organised in such a way as to keep functioning the key computer centres which handle the automatic payment of giro cheques to claimants.
Unemployed workers who see civil servants taking steps to protect them, and leading a determined fight against the Tories are more likely to rally to the struggle for meaningful TUC support.
The civil service unions are at the crossroads. To pull back now from all-out action could lead to a major setback to the self-confidence of the membership and even to their shopfloor organisation. TENDe