tricle in the grostwho feally she do to the this with a foreword by KEN LON today. 448 pages, illustrated. £11.95 plus £2 post and packing, from Socialist Outlook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. Alan Thornett's firsthand account of rade union struggles in the car industry from the 1970s, with serious lessons for trade union activists * making connections with local campaigns by service users against privatisation, for example tenants organising to oppose housing selloffs * working with other local labour movement and community activists What happens in Islington does have significance for others. If Islington Council succeeds in driving through the cuts, other councils Inside and outside London will be looking for ideas on how to do the same. They will share their ideas and experiences on "best practice". We need to share ours on "best fightback". paign before next year's onslaught.
Nationally, New Labour has announced its plans to sell off 85,000 Council houses this year and double this next year.
This is combined with an attack on Direct Labour Organisations (DLOs - Council run direct works departments) under the new "Best Value" regime which has replaced Compulsory Competitive Tendering.
Best Value is a rebranding of the privatisation of local services, a less threatening name for something even worse.
Combined with Labour's stated intention to enforce tight spending limits on local authorities, it will mean wholesale sell-offs of every asset destruction of the DLOs nationally, to safeguard tens of thousands of jobs.
Locally, privatisation of services continueswith the news on July 17 that. St Helen's Council has lost the tender for its school meals service, affecting over 500 jobs. This latest attack needs to be linked with the council house sell offs to build one united campaign against privatisation.
The Welfare State Network/United to Repeal Anti-Trade Union Laws' march from Birmingham to Blackpool Labour Party Conference in September is an ideal opportunity to build a real fightback between workers, tenants and the users of public services.