Weir Sit-in Ended

Scan page 11

The work-in at the Weir Maternity hospital in South London has been called off.

The work-in, which followed in the footsteps of those at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Hounslow hospitals, had been kept firmly under the control of NUPE full-time officials-even to the extent of NUPE threatening to withdraw their support if the Weir stewards allowed supporters of either CLASH, the organisation of NHS stewards in London, or of the SWP paper Hospital Worker to become involved in the work-in.

Unlike the EGA, where the work in was built on demands for a workers' enquiry into the needs for the hospital, and into its true cost, the Weir work-in had the most minimal programme.

Consequently, when a consultant claimed that the hospital was "not worth saving" because of its high rate of perinatal mortality, the workers became demoralised.

Instead of demanding a trade union enquiry to investigate this claim, to find out why such deaths occurred, and to demand finance and equipment to overcome any problems, the leadership accepted the claim.

NUPE officials quickly made use of the demoralisation to step in and without consulting the staff, abandoned the work-in.

The only 'gain' that was made was that the closed hospital will not be used as offices by the AHA!

Another work-in which has now started, at Plaistow, which is also controlled by NUPE ofticials, will certainly suffer a similar fate if a way is not found of placing the work-in in the bands of the workers in the hospital and linking it to a programme of demands which will haild hroarien annart and CRISIS