CoCSU leaders take 'Judas money'

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Stephen 20 WEEKS of industrial action in which the Civil Service unions have spent over £9 million on strike pay and strike organisation, led to the Tories offering £30 extra on top of the 7% offer made at the start of the strike action.

This pathetic increase (worth another ½% on average) satisfied the national CoCSU leadership. They agreed to put the extra money (nicknamed 'Judas money' by some militants) to a vote along with an offer of arbitration for 1982as long as Parliament agrees to the result!

In return the union leaders agreed to be bound by the Tories' demand that no recommendation on the offer be made.

As a result of this move by the CoCSU leaders, national all-membership ballots are being organised throughout each union to be concluded by Tuesday 28 July.

As well the CPSA and SCPS Executive Committees agreed to freeze the current industrial action in DE/DHSS; in return the Civil Service bosses agreed not to suspend anymore staff.

The results as we go to press indicate a strong possibility of an acceptance of the extra £30, and a vote for ending the Yet all the indications are that the IRSF will produce a clear vote against acceptance and for all out strike action. CPSA general secretary Ken Thomas And the likelihood is that any such action would be delivered.

In contrast, the feeling for action in the traditionally 'left' union, the CPSA, is clearly collapsing, with the vote at time of press running 2:1 in favour of giving in.

The main reason for the differences in development between IRSF and CPSA is that for the IRSF members, the selective action in the two computer centresCumbernauld and Shipley-have also required extensive supporting industrial action in local offices (particularly in the Collection service).

In CPSA on the other hand the vast majority of the membership have not been involved in any action for over two months, and the fall-off in the collection of the levy has been a direct indicator of the mood of a rank and file that has not been organised OI allowed to fight.

Socialist Orgar iser from the beginning has argued that only an all out strike could win We have pointed out that the union leaders commitment to selective action was to prevent the sort of radicalisation that has occurred in IRSF: and since the round of union conferences ended in May, and after the first round of ballots, these union leaders have been turning over every stone to find a pretext for surrender.

These bureaucrats know that they will return to safe jobs, except in CPSA where later this year there will be the first ever election of senior full time officers.

The rank and file in CPSA must seize the chance to bring a corrupt leadership to heel.