DHS'S Walk-out

Scan page 15

DHSS OFFICERS in Nottingham have been staging one-day walkouts in protest at the introduction of part-time casual staff into offices. CPSA claim there should be a full-time permanent staff employed in the offices.

• A meeting has been set up with management to put the case for more staff, but management are unlikely to concede. Should the talks fail, CPSA will have to decide if the dispute can be stepped up. This would involve the National Disputes Committee granting strike pay to finance an all-out strike in some of the Nottingham offices.

Nottingham now follows Birmingham, Oxford and Liverpool who have all struck for more staff, and if the government don't concede to extra staffing then strikes are likely to continue.

that this would inevitably mean redundancies.

Also, management intend to reduce canteen staff and put office cleaning out to contract -causing still more redundancies. The workers have said, enough is enough. As they. said, 'Could you work 63% harder?' The sacking threat is the second attempt by management to go over the head of the union to end the strike. Earlier in the dispute management directly ballotted the strikers, asking if they wanted to stay on strike and lose their jobs. The vast majority of strikers boycotted the ballot.

But despite everything the strikers have held firm. The dispute has now gone to negotiations at a national level. Some strikers are understandably worried at the involvement of Evans and Duffy.

A mass meeting is being called to discuss the outcome of the negotiations.

Donations and messages of support to: 6/153 branch dispute tuna, c/o R.Butcher, 8 Ethol Ave, Pendlebury, Salford.

Become a supporter of the Socialist Organiser Alliance -. groups are established in most large towns. We ask £1.50 a month minimum (20p unwaged) contri-