Save this hospital!

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Hospital workers and representațives of the local labour movement are still fighting to save Bethnal Green Hospital in East London.

Socialist Press recently reported a move by their action committee to demand that leaders of the health service unions take serious action in defence of the health service.

Resolutions are being sent through trade union branches calling on the National Executives of NUPE, COHSE and ASTMS to pledge themselves to call all-out area-wide strike action in the event of any attempts by the Area Health Authority to move equipment and patients out of Bethnal Green.

The need to expose and fight the inaction of the trade union bureaucrats is now being seen as more vital than ever.

NUPE leader Alan Fisher (who has made a profession out of talking against government cuts in the health services, has not even bothered to reply to an invitation requesting his presence at a major public meeting being held at York Hall, Bethnal Green in defence of the hospital.

Authority

Many hospital workers now realise that, while happy to sound off on TV and in the newspapers, Fisher prefers to stay away from those who would expect him to talk about action.

The union leaders have the power, the authority and the resources to prepare their membership for the massive struggle needed to defend and improve the health service.

While they refuse to act, workers at Bethnal Green are left to make the best of their situation.

Preparations are being made to ensure regular picketing of the hospital and a meeting of local union representatives is taking place.

But without the leadership needed much energy has been turned in diversionary protest actions.

Several lobbies of management and government bodies, as well as a petition have been organised. Such methods can be useful in so far as they attract new support through the publicity they receive in the labour movement, but when they are the only form of HEHT THE Gins myth being peddled that other London hospitals (the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson ano Nichalas have been saved by Nacholast nave een saved by such methods. In fact no commitment has been made for state finance to the EGA and St. Nicholas will only stay open at the expense of other hospitals.

The central question remains, the need for all out defence of the health service as a whole,; strike action and occupations against the cuts; and the battle for state financing of a decent health service through massive injection of funds with regular increases to meet inflation. Fisher postures for press cameras Only this perspective offers a way forward for health workers and the labour movement.

Union leaders must be challenged with these policies. So must 'left' MPs like lan Mikardo who has declared his support for Bethnal Green Hospital, but continues to give his support in Parliament to the Lib-Lab government that is making the cuts.

No headway will be made under a labour movement leadership that grovels before Callaghan Steel and the ruling class whose profits they are defending at the expense of workers' living standards, jobs and social services.

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POLE XHAN RICHAEL