By Debbie Islington UNISON 'A' branch NATIONAL leaders of newly-merged public sector union UNISON have given official backing to the Islington Under Fives Education Service strike.
Il's an enormous boost to strikers, parents and other involved in the public campaign to defend the service.
June's NALGO conference overturned the repudiation of the strike by General Secretary Alan Jinkinson. Branch officers asked for a ballot straight after the conference, but were initially blocked by conference's decision.
When the result came out, two days before UNISON's launch, the NALGO leaders hesitated giving endorsement.
Hearing nothing really
tested the six workers and campaign supporters at Harvist UFEC. Reports, questions and meetings still didn't get an answer, As tension and frustration mounted, a lobby of the union's office was held.
Finally, on July 15 - two and a half weeks after the ballot and nearly a month after Conference - official endorsement and strike pay was UNISON activists have to quickly taken Islington's experience on board. The policies held dear by NALGO's activ. ists are being swept way by NUPE's tradition.
The ballot was conducted under NALGO's Industrial Action Procedures, which igthat ballots take place at UNISON's interim arrangement sticks within the Tory laws. At the moment there are no national tay swuc*