Noustrial Nev Nalgo Leaders Try to Head Off Fight

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The Bedford. branch of NALGO has been quick to respond to the Department of the Environment Circular 45/76 - Local Authority Current Expenditure 1976/77. In a letter to other NALGO branches support is urged for the following motion.

"This branch calls upon the National Executive Council to convene a Special Local Government Group meeting in accordance with Rule 57 (a) (i) to consider the following motion:

"This Group meeting is totally opposed to the Government Joint Circular dated 25.5.76 and instructs the National Local Government Committee to draw up a plan, for national action in opposition to the circular.

In the same mailing from NALGO headquarters is a four page letter from General Secretary, Geoffrey Drain in which he "reiterates previous advice to branches on those aspects of public expenditure restraint affecting staff."

If the situation wasn't so serious Drin's advice would be laughable, interspersed with such gems as "improve consultation before any curs"!; "Make sure you inform the local authority that cuts will lead to deteriorating services"!; "териiat:: criticism of staff where real cause of poorer service is untilled racancies" and so on.

But when it comes to action, Drain informs the members that the National Local Government Committee has decided that the special meeting called for by • Bedford world be "inopportune"!

Coming as it does in the same maling as the Bedtord resolution, Di. in's advice is very opportune' fo: those who would prevent the mounting anger of NALGC members from turning into action.

NALGO branches should convene special meetings as soon as possible to vote support for the Bedford resolution and discuss local strike action to stop immediate cur backs.

The increasing possibilities 0f a militant response by NALGO members to turther cuts in government spending has driven the union's bureaucracy and its allies to seek new methods of heading off any movement.

The latest idea is the establishment of a NALGO "Broad Alliance Group" dominated by Stalinists of the Communist Party, along with various 'left' and not so left Labourites, with the direct aim of countering the "rank and file" NALGO Action Group.

An attempt to launch a Southern Dist act organisation of the Broad Allance in Reading on July 10th, however, drew only eleven people.

There seemed to be general agreement with a CP speaker who spoke of Jack Jones and Geoffrey Drain as "totally committed left-wingers" denied the chance to follow this "true ideology" because of the "immaturity" of the working class!

When a WSL sympathiser, present as an observer, referring to the fact that Drain was howled down by the NALGO Conference in Eastbourne precisely because the Drair membership wanted action while Drain offered only words, found no support except from an Is member, who then went on to a confused speech calling for the meeting to affiliate to the . NALGO Action Group.

The meeting's organiser, Stalinist Ron Knowles from Aylesbury at once warned that the meeting was "degenerating into political discussion" , calling for "politics" to be left out so that "common ground" could be found.

Knowles went on to advocate that the Broad Alliance should be "essentially bureaucratic structure" • He was immediately supported by another CP member who frankly pointed out that "we are all bureaucrats at heart"

Apparently however it did not occur to any of those present to draw the logical conclusion and rename grouping Bureaucratic Alliance!