CAMDEN'S Labour council, after threatening to sack striking social workers since last October, this week dismissed all those on strike 220 Social workers, Social Care workers and others have been on all-out indefinite strike action since june 4. This followed a successful ballot with a 76 per cent majority for action. The issue is Camden council's failure to implement a nationally-negotiated regrading agreement which affects the pay and status of social workers and social care workers.
The council signed the agreement in February 1990, but unlike fellow employers in other London boroughs failed to implement it. The strike raises isNot national concern. If employers successfully renege on a nanonawy nekowatec agreement, the whole ethe en stati aned balance employers will shift to the detriment of every NALGO member.
The employers used the strike to radically restructure ovisio within the borough. They plar institute the purchaser/provider model currently causing havoc in the NHS. This will mean massive ALL OUT (0300 12 NO STRINGS! NALGO Camden NALGO on the march in 1989 job losses and increased Staff on strike were locked out of any consultation process deletes all their posts. In line with an increasing use of the sack to intimidate strikers, Camden council have issued sack threats since October 1991 in the national and local media.
They have used every opportunity to brevent o‹ner trade unionists in their employment discussing issue. threats intensified on December made an 'offer' to the social workers of one increment (half of the National Agreement). This was conditional on completely changed job descriptions and new conditions of service involving a series of strings. The 'offer' was exosed as an ultimatum y the council's further demand that to show cceptance of the ner to return to work. Social workers were issued with letters spelling out the sacking threat. It is clear that the council were using the ot new contracts as a means of as a final desperate bid to shirk their duties under the 1990 agreement.
Strikers voted overwhelmingly not to bend to this intimidation. Their resolve was strengthened by the predicament of 24 social service workers who were also on In the new restructured social services department many of their jobs would disappear. They would face certain redundancy if the conditions for a return to work were accepted.
The militant Camden strike has been run democratically from the start. They have made contact with other strikers, including the Pergamon strikers in Oxford.
But unfortunately the strikers have generally been left to fightalone. There has been no attempt by the NALGO leadership to build solidarity with the strike, despite its national importance This is clearly linked to a situation where anti-union legislation has led many trades doubt that solidarity action is possible. But it is clearly essential if such attacks are to be rebuffed.
It is this isolation that may in the end defeat the strike, combined with the tactics of Camtrade unions?
No. 17 den council. Union bureaucrats nave aiso attemprea to ensure a quiet run-up to the election for the Labour Party. pattern seems to be developing where potentially embarrassing disputes are settled or finished. It is important that the Camden strikers are supported to boister them against the prolonged attack from both the council and the union leadership. Messages of support to: Camder VALGO office, 7th floor, Towori Hall Extension, Argyle St, London NW1. Tei: 071 278 4444. Manchester Polytechnic Students Speakers include Arthur Scargill, Tony Benn MP Details: Carolyn Sikorski, 53a Geere Road, London E15 Feb. 29, 1992 Page 5
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