Union Officials Wind up Cuts

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TKILA Last November, body of officials from various public sector unions a alled a national demonstr. ation in London against cuts in social services.

80,000 trade unionists came-the largest demonstration since those called against the Tory Industrial Relations Act.

November a year later-the same steering committee names a 'week of action'most inappropriately, as no constituent unions were this time allowed to take any strike action.

Members were asked last week, as during the other 51 weeks of the year, to engage in local protests against the cuts.

Nationally, a mere 5,000 tickets were issued for a lobby of Westminster limited it was gravely asserted, in the interest of "public order"

Under this deliberate misleadership, not astonishingly, the lobby • failed to achieve even 5,000 delegates.

At a meeting afterwards, numbering about 200 in Central Hall, Westminster, ASTMS NHS official Reg an exhortation to 'work work' against the cuts.

Albert Spanswick, General Secretary of COHSE, detailing the horrifying scale of cuts in the Health Service, was heckled' with "What are you going to do?"

He announced decisively:

"We must compel the Government to plan... and to bring North Sea Oil under public ownership".

The 'left' position was given to Bernard Dix of NUPE, speaking last after an FBU delegate had collected £115 from the meeting for the firemen's strike.

His subject: "The fight against the cuts is inextricably bound up with the fight for more pay"

The militant conclusion Dix arrived at was that all firms should be brought under public ownership. Unfortunately he forgot to mention how such a plan could be carried out or how he proposed to fight.

NUPE officials are perfectly placed to lead a fight for pay backed up with a fight against the cuts.

NUPE has actually lodged a 30% pay claim against Government policy and rejected a 10% offer for counci