Teachers Alliance

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200 teachers from all over the country met at an open left-wing conference on November 20th in London.

Many organisations were present - the International Marxist Group, International Communist League (ICL), other radical and left groupings - as well as non-aligned militants wishing to fight the bureaucratic leadership of the National Union of Teachers (NUT).

Many were members of the "Rank and File' group, disillusioned with the dead end centrist politics of the International Socialists (IS) who dominate it.

Teachers of the Workers Socialist League (WL) attempted to win the conference a programme of struggle against the AT leaders and in defence of democracy, the social services. jobs and pay.

Orters. however, had different ideas.

I: -omg sew discussion of a TE: :5C. cion, carefully designei a sunil da serious questions of pEE: m: leadership.

I a tea that groups like the Mar. =i ma are intention of giving political leadership to militant teachers.

They aimed to get 'unity' at any cost and give birth to yet another 'rank and file' centrist organisation.

Speakers for the WSL's resolution pointed out that the 'unity' of a handful of people meant little unless it had a programme which could give perspective and leadership to thousands of teachers and workers in defence of their conditions.

Only policies like the sliding scale of wages and public spending, nationalisation of firms milking the social services dry for profits, public works to expand education and provide jobs, could do this by rejecting capitalist crisis and pointing the road out through workers' control towards socialism.

But the leaders of the conference stuck to pleas for abstract 'unity'. And though the IMG at a smaller conference last year had voted for a programme almost identical to that of the Wat they demonstrated yet again that support for transitional -demands decreases as fast as the audience and the possibility of a fight for them increases.

Perhaps the new journal is to consist of blank pages, until a policy is found to fill them? The spirit of compromise for apolitical unity was best grasped by the teacher who proposed an annual membership subscription of $2.50 when £2 and £3 had been suggested.

Yet the absurdity of the whole thing was not lost on all present. Many speakers pointed out that all the important questions had been ignored.

The platform conceded that another conference should be held early in 1977 which should discuss what the programme of the new organisation should be.

It is the outcome of that conference which will provide the real test of the Socialist Teachers Alliance'. . All that exists at present is a paper unity.

The end result of it all was the founding of a 'Socialist Teachers Alliance', along with a journal. The discussion on a 'Guide to Action' came only in the last half-hour -and then no votes were taken!

This was the debate on what the policies of the new organisation are to be, and what it will do!

FOLROSE

BATTLE SON THOISKNISM workers press 53.r SOCIALIST .SP835% Workerg Revoll tondr Price f1 paus 20p p&p

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SOCIALIST PRESS, Medaesday Is Decesaber, 1976.

nEXTSTEP:

WORKERS' CONTROL ... STRIKE ACTION IS THE ONLY ANSWER!

abro MPAIGN The occupation of the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson hospital for women in London is now in its third week.

Over that period support for the campaign to save the EGA has. grown daily and increasing numbers THE HOSTILITY throughout the whole of the workers' move. ment to the Labour government's programme of massive cuts in public spending was clearly reflected in the 80,000 strong demonstration through London on November 17th.

But the complete refusal of the leaders of the public sector unions to lead any struggle beyond such protest gestures wil only be strengthened by such a clear indication that a serious fight to halt the cuts is now absolutely possible given only a clear national call. : Indeed the complete contempt shown by the Callaghan government for the huge demonstration EGA workers demonstrating during a one-day of workers from outside the hospital are now supporting the 24hour picket of the main gate.

So far the Area Health Authority has made no move to break the occupation by moving patients of equipment and the latest rumours suggest that the on the 17th November was shown only days later with the announcement of plans for wholesale closures of London hospitals and the devastating attack on the rate support grant - which even government sources predict will slash a further 20-30,000 jobs in local government, along with a whole range of services, while jacking up the rates for every working class family.

The alternatives are therefore clear. EITHER there has to be prolonged, all-out strike action in each and every area and sector as each and every cut in manning, in services or conditions is threatened, - with the demand for national support; OR the cuts will be PHOTO: Courtesy of Camden Chronicle.

government's plans to close the EGA by the end of December have now been postponed till March.

There are two reasons for this: firstly the wards at the Whittington Hospital which are being renovated to accomodate a reduced EGA service will not be ready until wormed through manoewvres, back-stairs deals with union officials, attacks concentrated on poorly or unorganised sections of workers, 'natural wastage', and the whole battery of means available to the administrators.

In this context, the new moves by, in particular, NUPE local officials to call restricted one-day 'token' strikes must be seen as part of the continuing efforts of the bureaucrats to restrict the struggle against the cuts to harmless and useless protest.

This Labour government takes its orders not from the labour movement, but from the IMF bankers - and only the mobilisation of the industrial strength of the New Year; and, secondly, the AHA hope that by postponing any confrontation with the workers at the hospital, they will encourage the occupation to die a natural death.

PLACATE

At present the leadership of the occupation including NUPE and ASTMS Divisional Officers are playing to me hands of the AHA EGA workers and in attempting to placate the EGA consultants by allowing management to control the running of the hospital.

By failing to call mass meetings of the workers the leadership of the occupation has been kept firmly in the hands of the union officials and remains a protest activity -albeit a more forceful protest than the lobbies of MPs and petitions which have hitherto dominated the campaign.

By not calling on their membership in surrounding hospitals to stage supporting strikes, they are leaving the EGA workers isolated from the mass of hospital workers in the area.

CONTRAST

In spite of this the occupation represents a real step forward in the fight against hospital closures and by its very existence opens the way for the development of elements of workers control.

Already there is talk in the hnenital of the need to exnand the EGÀ services - possibly by the opening of either a well woman' clinic or a menopausal clinic.

These are seen as ways of improving treatment at the hos pital in line with the needs of the local community, and are in marked contrast to the government's closure of hospitals irrespecthe public sector unions on national level, fighting for backing from other sections of workers, can prevent the cuts proceeding.

The call from November 17th onwards must be therefore to resist absolutely and on principle the slightest erosion of manning levels, services and conditions. Once the cuts have got well under way the fight to stop the rot will be that much harder. We say clearly:

*Strike to Stop the Cuts in area.

*Demand national strike action in support - make Fisher, Drain and others Stop the Cuts: Save Jobs'. •*To reveal the true picture, elected trade • union committees tive of workers' needs.

Nevertheless, the only way in which such expansion of services can take place without increasing the workload on the present staff is by demanding the AHA provide the cash to employ extra nurses, technicians and ancilliary staff.

such a policy is completely incompatible with the AHA's plans to save money by closing hospitals and poses the question of a workers' inquiry into the finances of the AHA as well as those of the drug and medical suppliers.

SUCCESSFUL

Such a programme would not only give a real perspective for EGA workers but would unite all hospital workers in the area as well as local labour bodies in an inquiry into the running of the NHS and it is along those lines that the occupation needs to develop if it is to become a successful fight against government cuts.

One real step in the fight to save the EGA has been the calling of a Conference on December llth by the EGA Joint Shop Stewards Committee to discuss not only the experiences of the occupation but also the future campaign to defend the NHS as a whole.

This conference is open to delegates from all working class organisations and NHS Shop Stewards Committees and trade union branches are especially encouraged to support it. Credentials (50p) can be obtained from:

Tim Shallice, Chairman, ASTMS Central London Medical Branch, 6; Wilmington House, Highbury Crescent, London N5. must fight for access ) the accounts, future plans and m inning levels in every area of the public sector - Open the Books!

*This will reveal the main suppliers profiting from the public sector. The books of these industries must be opened a Iso, in the fight to nationalise them, without compensation and workers' management.

*Demand the restoration of the social service budget in full, linked to a sliding scale of spending to protect against inflation.

*Demand the 'left' Labour MPs oppose the cuts by voting against them in Parliament and fighting for the removal of the Callaghan-Healey leadership!

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