Tass Leaders Attack Democracy

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The Executive Committee of TASS has accepted a report from its Organisation SubCommittee which proposes major changes in the union's decision making procedure.

At present each branch elects one delegate to the annual conference, 1s allowed to submit two motions and can amend any motions.

Under the new proposals delegates would be elected on a 1/1750 members basis, by the Divisional Council not the branches (delegates would have to be DC membered by on and each be would be limited to four motions.

Amendments to motions could only be put at conference - neither DCs nor branches could submit amendments.

The effect of these moves on democracy in the union can be seen quite clearly.

For example in No. 16 Division (which has 12 branches) the effect of the new procedure would be to reduce conference delegates from 12 to 4 and the number of motions which could be submitted from 24 to 4!

The Stalinist dominated Executive clearly fears the continued growth of opposition to its leadership. There must be a determined campaign to throw out the proposed changes at the next annual conference.

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The closure of the Elizabett Garrett Anderson Hospital moved a step closer this week with the announcement in Parliament that all in-patients will be removed from the hospital by the end of December.

The announcement, in a reply by Minister for the NHS, Roland Moyle, (a NUPE sponsored MP) to a primed question from Lena Jeger, the local MP, came after a series of visits to Moyle by NUPE officers, by the EGA consultants and by a group of local people.

With the final date now set for closure the willingness of the EGA workers to fight remains strong.

HOSPITAL COMMITTEE They have now formed a hospital committee to organise the defence of the hospital, including, if necessary, a work-in.

The committee represents all grades of staff at the hospital, including consultants, whose interests very temporarily coincide with those of the workers.

This is where the weakness of the defence of the EGA lies. At the moment the workers feel that they cannot make any decisions unless the consultants acquiesce.

But at the same time, the consultants are using the strength of feeling amongst the workers to negotiate better facilities for themselves in surrounding hospitals when the EGA finally closes.

The Area Health Authority, well aware of the incipient split in the hospital, on two occasions have offered the consultants more beds at the Whittington Hospital in an attempt to persuade them to move.

WAVERED

which consultant has which beds at the Whittington.

And if the AHA are using the carrot of beds to gain the support of the consultants for the move to the Whittington, they are also using a stick on the unions.

At a meeting of representatives of the EGA staff, - including Divisional Officers from NUPE and ASTMS, the AHA threatened that if the unions took any action against the proposed short term move to the Whittington, then this would prejudice any chance of funding a long term home for the EGA anywhere.

The long talked-about work-in is now an urgent necessity at the EGA. The only time that the AHA have ever looked worried was on September 23rd after the strike in all Camden hospitals in support of the EGA.

The ghost of this strike was called up at the AHA meeting on Wednesday 27th • October when both ASTMS and COHSE officials threatened that if a single patient or single member of staff is moved from the EGA then their members at the receiving hospital would strike.

NUPE, ASTMS and COHSE have expressed their support both for a work in and for supportive strikes.

The immediate task is for the officers of these unions to organise and declare the date of the work-in to begin.

This is not the only task, though. It would suit both the union officials, the AHA and the DHSS if such an action was limited to a protest against the closure.

The work-in and supportive strikes must become the basis of •INDUSTRIAL •FATI The demand for the opening of the books not only of the AHA, but also of the private suppliers of the NHS must be advanced.

Unless the work-in is used as a basis for such demands, then it can only be a last-ditch desperate protest, and not a way forward to defend the NHS as a whole.

AS THE SACI In London the Labour government plans to close 120 hospitals out of 150. This would mean that in 'health blackspots' like Hackney, the Health Service would come to a virtual standstil.

A new consultative booklet just issued by the Area Health Authority proved conclusively that the City and East London has more health needs than many parts of the country but the least medical facilities.

The area also lags far behind the rest of London. The rate oi general and infant deaths in particular has been consistently. above the national average.

The same goes for the prevalence of handicap or long term sickness.

And although the number of mentally handicapped in East London is 35% higher than the GLC area, the admission into hospital of such cases was only half the GLC rate.

17-POINT PLAN It is in these already wretched conditions that the Area Health LINGS START They said that the thrust of 400 redundancies in the Hackney area has begun to be implemented in Hackney hospital with the sacking of 12 workers over retirement age who have not been replaced.

Coupled with that there is already a reduction in the intake of student nurses.

A call for a substantial reduction in overtime has resulted in the deterioration of services. The emergency service for children is to close down and there is talk of '5-day wards' STRIKE ACTION But this, they said, is only the reginning: "We will see a tremendous onslaught after Christmas. The membership will not accept this. We will take strike action."

They added: "It is nonsense when the authorities try to stop the strikes by blackmailing us and playing on our consciences, saying that the strikes would hit the patients - while at the same time it is the same authority which cuts off the electricity for thousands of old age pensioners, literally killing * Tana them"

'The reason we go on strike is to defend the Health Service. We fight for the unity of patients and workers - we have the same interests. "9 Ron and George said they were disappointed NUPE had called no strike action but continued, "It is about time something was done about these wretched conditions due to cuts. We expect a mass walk- like the nurses » Other unions too out. We have been getting encouraging support from Yet despite this feeling there has been no real lead from Alan Fisher, NUPE General Secretary.

The call for a one-day national demonstration and lobby of Parliament on 17th November does not even amount to a one day strike.

This demonstration is designed to let off steam and divert militancy, channelling it into a protest movement.

Although the November 17th demonstration is a conscious manoeuvre by Fisher and the public service union bureaucrats to dampen the workers' militancy, those workers who respond to the call will be doing so for opposite reasons.

They will be coming to defend the Health Service and to smash the social contract.

This is why the November 17th Day of Action must be fully supported, wherever possible by strike action.