level across the public sector Activists should be calling for a public sector alliance to co- ordinate nationwide activity, including strike ac tion, in defence of jobs and against the This could be given a focus by the decision of the CPSA executive to ballot its members for one day industrial action against the 1.5 per cent pay ceiling.
Workers throughout the public sector should call on their unions to follow this lead and ballot for action on April 1. Such a day of strike action could be broadened out to become a national public service day, aimed at lighlighting the government's attacks on the public sector.
NALGO activists have the opportunity to put pressure on their union's national executive at the national local government group meeting to be held in Blackpool on 1 Islington NALGO and Notts NALGO are calling a fringe meeting for the eveBy expelled Labour councillor Steve French ONCE AGAIN the media have been saturated with stories about loony Lambeth council.
Lambeth's Chief Executive has is. sued a report into C 10 million of alleged corruption and mismanagement highlighting unauthorised redundancies, overcharging by the counci's DLO, and overcharging by sub-contractors.
Smokescreen
Some on the left suggest that talk of corruption is purely a smokescreen to cover cuts in jobs and services. The Lambeth Council is not an organi. sation that is run democratically by and for the working class. As a part of British capitalism it will mirror the corrupton in society. Even bedore Campulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT). ambeth had an unhealthy voluntary Under the threat of CCT, with coun alos oposed to it but unwin to "ant a sane and ignore the legal But meekly accepting privatisation is no solution either. Lambeth MPs Keith Hil and Kate Hoey wrote to coun cil leader Steve Whaley that he disband the DO forthwith and externaly tender service contracts held by the DLO.
History
Whist Hill has backtracked follow.
so man the Do manager pre I wants the DLO management priThis is turning history on its head. The tact is that lambets O nac been corrupted by the private sector. DLOs were created in the late 1940s as a mechanism to stop corruption. Milions have been stolen from na tonal and local government via contracts with private companies.
Complacent
We should not be complacent about corrupton. Socasts must demand action against what is theft of jobs and services.
Corrupt officers must be rooted out. Sore = abett's so-called DLOs 2 * VHI° geno E are be brought in house.
Illegal redundancies
The same legal officers who forced councilors to make the redundancies are now saying that this was illegal and attempts by the left to stop DLO redundancies were later used to expel them from the Labour Party!
In recognising now that workers were wrongly sacked, the council's kers redundant!
Overcharging
Senior officers are locked into an internecine war owes suggested that the DLO systematically overcharges the housing department for repairs.
Often, contractors carry out the The DLO has kept these profits. Offcers assert that this is illegal - but most other councils do the same. Everyone seems to ignore the fact that this is the logic of privatisabon.
The witch-hunt Labour Coordinating Committee (LCC)) have tried to blame left-wing councillors for the 'scandal". Straw is now backtracking on public statoments following the threat of legal acton.
Investigation
Two of the witch-hunted councillors, myself and Julian Lewis, led a major investigation against corruption in 1986/7. Sadly the inffative was lost.
The dented-shield strategy in Lam beth has led to the near collapse of However, it's too simple to say that when the LCC took over they failed to carry this work through. Old corrupt networks have regenerated, but new ones have been allowed to prosper via OCT.
Years of cuts and the high level of poverty and deprivation in the borough require Labour leaders to look beyond for the solutions needed.
As Lambeth faces cuts of over £30 milion, wo nood to build a fighting trade union response to cuts, privatisaDon and corruption.
Miners News