Outlook ban Election round-up our These sinister "bankers" soe the message across to hospital staff at Oxford's Raddlife Infirmary, underlining the logic of the Pricate Finance Initiatio. Their chants of "Parients out, Profits in?" raised smiles all round, and the lably mas covred on local radio stations. r-Protits before Patients Pete Burnett LIFELONG socialist, trade union leader and pensioner activist Terry Rodgers collapsed and died on May Oth Socialist Alliance candidate for Tyne Bridge.
Bor in Scotswood in the west end of Newcastle, Terry worked at Vickers, was radithe British Army during National Service in India and Dece some a BaD The 1960s saw a huge tranution in Terry's life. He became a draughtsman at Parsons and successfully fously to transform the craft society (AESD) into a fighting Victories He served on the national nationally important victories in the workplace such as four weeks holiday campaign and attempes by Parsons' management to impose redun.
dancies. With Terry leading the way, members forced their way into the boardroom to throw back their redunTerry always believed that struggle transformed people and that nothing could be achieved by negociations without struggle.
The high point of miltancy at Parsons saw Terry as one of the leaders of successful mass resistance to moves by the then Labour government to close the plant through a merger with GEC While touring the region with President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister Jim Callaghan was embarrassed by a huge demonstration led by Terry and his comrades on the joint union committee.
Convinced from the carty 1960s that the Labour Party was 'now the greatest imped.
iment to socialism in Britain.
Terry joined the International Socialists, remaining with them and their successor