TGWU blow at St Mary's fight

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MEMBERS of the 1/1088 TGWU branch at St Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road, were shocked to read the following memo sent to TGWU District Officer John Newe this week:

"In reply to your memo and attachments of 1 December 1981, in which you request legal assistance with a claim for assault on one of our members; Bro. M. Woods.

'Looking through the correspondence I see that the Region is asked to make official any action that may be taken by the staff at the hospital.

«'Whilst expressing every appreciation of our members and their efforts in the struggle at the hospital, we are unable to give as it were carte blanche for any and every action they may take, albeit we would wish to assist whenever we were able.

''On the question of legal actien in support of Bro. Woods and the allegation of assault, it is not normal practice to involve ourselves in such incidents by way of legal assistance, although it is not unprece. dented, but for us to consider the question we would certainly want much fuller detail than is contained within the report.

"S.Staden, Regional Secretary"

Workers at St Mary's have been fighting management plans to close the hospital, and Mick Woods - a TGWU shop steward was suspended and manhandled by a hospital security officer when he refused to cooperate with the emptying of a ward by administrators and police.

This response from the regional office, and the TGWU's use of its block vote in support of the right wing EETPU motion at the emergency London Labour Party conference on cuts on December 12, shows how seriously the TGWU leadership takes the motion passed at the Biennial Delegate Conference this year supporting all action against the cuts.

Socialist Organiser asks all TGWU union branches in Region no.1 to bombard Regional Office with demands for real action to fight the cuts and to support St Mary's.

At St Mary's. management have succeeded in closing the three wards planned in this round of cuts. The Defence Campaign, however, intends to continue the fight to save jobs and services, and will campaign for the reopening of the closed wards and the maintenance of the accident and emergency service.

Casualty has been officially closed on and off in the past two weeks, at one time when there were 14 beds empty in the hospital. Despite this, casualties have continued to be brought in by the ambulance drivers. It is essential that this pressure is kept on medical staff to admit patients.

The cold weather and treacherous conditions have increased admissions in the District and have started to make a nonsense of the Area Health Authority policy. It now requires a determined campaign to force them to back down.

Money is urgently required to build this. campaign. Send donations to: Occupation Committee, St Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road, London W9.

RAY SAUNDERS steel industry.

Workers at Clydebridge and other Scottish plants threatened with job losses can be sure that no lead for a fightback will be forthcoming from their union leaders. As in the past, the bureaucrats will refuse to take up the job losses at a national level, and instead will leave it to the plants to fight back as best they can by themselves and in isolation from each other.

Militants on the shopfloor must organise to turn the tide against BSC management. Rank and file committees with representatives from the different plants threatened with redundaneies should be established, and link up with workers in other nationalised industries fighting for their jobs, such as the BL workers at Bathgate.

Hiving off

And the fight against job losses should be joined up with the fight for a decent pay increase and immediate implementation ol at least the 39 hour week, thus providing the basis for a combine-wide confiontation with lan McGregor and his backers in the Tory Government.

A fightback now is essential. Otherwise the result will be not only mote job losses and reduced living standards for steelworkers, but another step forwards towards the Tories' goal of hiving off the profitable businesses in the steel industry and completely shutting down the rest.

FRED STOBIE