Hospital Strike

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In a grand display of bureaucratic manoeuvres the long awaited reconstitution meeting of the disaffiliated Oxford and District Trades Council took place on July 14th in the Oxford Town Hall.

The old Trades Council had been disbanded because of its strong fighting policy and because the right wing and the Stalinists had lost their majority on it.

Although the number of delegates from each branch to the new Council had been reduced by the TUC, there were 149 of the 169 registered delegates in attendance at the reorganisation meeting.

The reason for this was the joint right wing and Stalinist campaign using the Tory Oxford Mail to conduct a witch hunt in the town. Virtually every union sent circulars to their local branches telling them to affiliate and to send the maximum number of délegates, and JATIN TTAT most right wing full time officials worked flat out for 2 months to ensure that the delegates were the 'right' people.

It was clear when the meeting assembled that it contained not only many people who had done absolutely nothing in the trade union movement in the past, but also a hefty contingent of people who spend most of the time fighting the working class management from the hospitals (NALGO) and from the car plants (ASTMS), well versed in forcing in speed up on the tracks.

In the election for officers the right wing and the stalinists had an agreed ioint slate. The right winger John Power, who was elected president by 88 votes to 57 for the previous president Gerry Casey, hadn't been to Trades Council for many years. Two Stalinists were elected vice presidents, one by a majority of only 12 votes. A right winger, Chris Luker, was elected secretary with 92 votes to Dave NET GA ATRO Pinnington's 55 votes. For assistant secretary, right • winger Keith Dancey got 89 votes to Pat Lally's 50 votes and another rightwinger Mick Brazier was elected treasurer with 91 votes to Bill Sallis' 55 votes.

On the constitutional decisions, resolutions opposing rule 14 (rule 15 in the model rule book) were ruled out of order by the TUC. The joint Stalinist/right wing motion to include the optional clause to rule 15 which reads "The Council has right to refuse to issue credentials to, or to withdraw credentials trom, a delegate who has disrupted work of the Trades Council" , was carried by 70 votes to 66.

Various other bureaucratic rules were adopted. That Council meet monthly instead of fortnightly, and that the meeting by shorter was decided - in other words that Council be transformed from a fighting organisation into an ineffective body.

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He called on the • Labour government to stop refurbishing British industry at the expense of the social services and start instead a programme of public works to fight unemployment and provide more hospitals.

This was in stark contrast to the contributions of local left MPs Lena Jaeger and Jack Stallard.

REFUSED

Although both MPs refused point-blank to link the fight to save the EGA with the fight against the cuts in public spending this flew in the face of the mood and approach of the day, of action.

The strike had been built around demands of 'No to all closures a £1,000 million injection into the NHS, a workers' enquiry into the financing and planning of hospital and health services It was only when a speaker from the 'Save the EGA Campaign' , a WSL member, took the floor that this perspective was put forward.

While the chairwoman attempted to shout her down she pointed out that OVEr 100 hospitals are threatened with closure in London alone and obviously the central point of the lobby was the question of fighting all cuts in public spending.

This drew loud cheers and applause from the marchers, though the point was ruled out of order" by the Stalinist chairwoman.

ASTMS

It was taken up again however, when another member of the WSL speaking on behalf of the local ASTMS branch and with the full support of the meeting, challenged the chair, demanding that the meeting be given a firm assurance by the MPs present that they would vote against the cuts public spending to be propose: the next weeks.

Amid loud demands for su: commitment from all parts of floor the Stalinist chairwo: refused to accept such a dem and closed the meeting!

This of course was much to relief of the MPs present i were clearly completely unwi to lead any opposition to the : €1,000 million cuts.

After this day of action, occupation of the EGA musi forward with full strike actio: all London hospitals in suppor The unity around the day action has shown that there is longer a case for each hos! looking over its shoulder to what support : others will before embarking on action.

The basis has been laid fi workers' enquiry to find out the estimate for repair of the E lift has risen from £15,00C £50,000 this year.

BOOKS The books of the Area He Authority must be opened elected committees of t unionists, to prepare the way a workers' plan for the he service, linked to the abolitio all private practice, inside outside the NHS.

The campaign around the has also shown the role of lefts' in the fight against the ‹ Every 'left' MP has refus join the fight, not a single 1 union MP from the NHS uI turned up for the lobby, w Alan Fisher, the NUPE Ge Secretary who two weeks called for "guerilla" strikes ag the cuts has told his members NUPE does not approve of s action in defence of this parti hospital.

The strike action on July was the best answer yet to