Campaign launched
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-12-15Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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hospital and is staffed by supporters and staff to organise the rota, publish leaflets, book speakers, etc.
The response of the unions has been predictable. Since the police raids which closed St. Benedicts and Longworth hospitals, militants in COHSE and NUPE have constantly pushed the bureaucracy in both unions into committing themselves to more support to occupations and to a policy of calling for strike action. Both unions have passed resolutions on occupations at their annual conferences.
Union officials do not like occupations. When workers take control of a hospital, going direct to top managers, the press, the doctors, and the health authority there is little 'negotiating' for trade union officials to do.
The very nature of an occupation threatens the cosy negotiating techniques of bureaucrats. ON December 12 a meeting was held in Nottingham to establish a campaign in support of the NGA's defiance of the Tebbit laws. The meeting - attended by 35 local trade unionists and unemployed - was addressed by local members of the NUJ and NGA.
It was called by Nottingham South Constituency Labour Party with later support from Gedling CLP and a number of other trade union and Labour Party branches.
The campaign will organise support for the NGA or any other union confronting the courts. It will also be campaigning for the TUC to call a one-day general strike. action and the Tories' plans for the NHS would have begun to crumble.
Messages of support and donations to: Hayes Cottage Hospital Occupation, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex.
NO TO TORY BADGES 25p or £2 for 10 (plus 16p postage) from 'Mole Badges' 165, Liverpool Rd., London N1.
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Socialist Organiser December no.159 Page MALE