Health workers notch up victories
Mass TWO significant victories one setback. That has been the Score in recent struggles defend NHS against Tory cuts and closures.
The victories have been significant against a climate of defeatist attitudes among most union officials.
*In Paddington, 20 women who sat tight and refused to vacate their NHS accommodation after being redundant through privatisation at St Mary's hospital have forced district health authority to back down on moves to evict them. The October DHA meeting voted women to remain in their rooms which many have made their homes for years since they came to Britain as migrant workers alternative accommodation.
In view of the stony-faced refusal of Westminster council to rehouse the women, this is a major retreat by the DHA which had given them only 6 months to move out following the takeover of St Mary's domestic contract by the private Mediclean, meaning that none of the cleaning staff are now employees.
This fight has been important in three respects:
*It has given a lead for the thousands of NHS staff who are under |
picket of Guys Hospital to challenge visit by Thatcher to to pressure off 56,000 units; made have in some areas been entitled to - the to allow the evolve: *In addition spotlight the on until they find elect to contractor as NHS employees and face - like those made redundant - the possible loss of their homes. This quoted by Mediclean itself as firm resason for its inability to recruit staff to carry out its £270,000 contract at NHS Botley's Park hospital in Surres Since accommodation, even three pay rises in the last year had failed to attract stockbroker belt.
The By JACK DOBERMAN time in leave hospital Edwina accommodation as part of Baron Rayner's asset-stripping plan to sell
Mary's
*It nas highlighted the particular plight of domestic staff who until now or even required to live in - NHS accommodaton, but who do not have the same echo of public sympathy that homeless nurses can readily force
authorities it has thrown the side-effects of privatisation; even those staff who stay reduce work for d New at reduced pay Hampstead worsened conditions lost their status
consultation very lactor has just beer powers" light to proceed domestics to the job in the heart of the Socialist Viewpoint No. 14 November-December 1986 p29
second significant victory again centred on a sit-in action, this
Othe South Derbyshire constituency of new Health Minister
"Vegetable" Currie.
COHSE members staged a work-in to oppose the premature closure of St
Maternity Home - and despite the inaction of the normally loud-mouthed Currie they succeeded in winning their demands in full, saving seven nursery nurse jobs.
These two victories, which show the possibilities to embarrass and
retreats even from health under government pressure, came at the same time as he swift collapse of yet another occupation - the work-in by staff al
End geriatric Hospital,
The health authority announced earlier this year its intention to close the 107-bed hospital without public
Funder "emergency and despite a legal hiccough or two as a result of High Court challenges from Camder Council and the local Community Health Council, got the judges' green
When staff at New End made hasty attempts to occupy the hospital, the DHA responded immediately with an application for an injunction against
undermines UDM
the sit-in leaders, which was obtained
within a record 48 hours - far faster
than any of the comparable legal
moves at St Loenard's, South London
enough to withstand this onslaught,
and the DHA began to bundle the
elderly patients from New End with
management
ruthlessness — to incarcerate them in
their new living quarters on the 7th
floor of the concrete and glass Royal
Free Hospital.
first six patients
evidence on the 7th floor - a ceiling
was being painted in one ward and a
beds were in the corridors.
Patients arrived by wheelchair and
sat beside their bed bewildered and
confused. No doctor was present on
the ward to examine them.
Supper for the six finally arrived at UDM leaders have proven once again that their "union's" days are numbered by their failure to mount any opposition to the closure of Hacknall colliery in their Notts heartland.
1,250 UDM jobs are to go, while UDM General Secretary Roy Lynk claims that
. Already Britrish Coal management is targetting the pits in Nottinghamshire that it will similarly "not
The UDM was never in any position to take action over the Hucknall closure: its very foundation was as a body of scabs opposed to strike action and defence of pit jobs. The UDM rules in themselves stifle
There must be a ballot for any action. This must then be ratified by their NEC.
You must not approach other sections for support. By the time you have got permission to strike, the issue will have gone cold. That is the idea.
The rules of the UDM are, as far as local
The UDM's positions on major issues are also geared to avoiding any fight with the
It supports nuciear power, inviting the Chairman of the guest to the UDM Conference.
*It favours two year pay deals in which UDM leaders snatch at the first offer made. management in the victimisation of NUM
The UDM was officialy set up in late involved: Notts, South Derbyshire, and the
nurses. It was 45 minutes late
explanation being that "when these
Awards 6pm suppers Relatives of patients have told the
committee that they have not been
information as to when
moves would take place. The ward is still bleak and undecorated.
transter of patients to closed wards at
the Royal Free effectively cuts 25 per
cent of Hampstead's acute beds and will have a major cumulative
Awaiting lists even while Norman Fowler claims to be reducing
The High Court's rubber stamp for the closure simply sets the seal on an NHS strucure in which only the most hollow charade of democracy has pressure from cash limits is now British Coal A Lancashire miner looks at the emergence and gloomy future of the UDM as a bosses' union in a climate of closures. Dust sobs there. header a letters
Ken Toon and David White. When Notts and South Derbyshire formed the UDM the CWAT was quick to
Breakaway elements from Lancashire were sent into the CWAT to prop up ts every dwindling numbers. The UDM was very confident that Leicester would join Midlands, and two pits and a workshop in THE UDM has roots in previous treachery by Notts miners, during the great strike oi 1926. A certain Labou MP. called Spencer, decided thal enough was enough, and Notts miners should go back to work. He set up an alterntive union with the assistance of
Members loyal to the MFGB were blacked and were not given work by the coal owners. The Spencer union did not reign long. Through its lack of potency to fight for wages, conditions and against closures the union had to negotiate its way back into the main union for protection of its members.
With the disbandment of the Spencer union, a trust fund was set up using about £1.000,000 left from the "union" funds. This trust fund - to Socialist Viewpoint No. 14 November-December 1986 p30
hacking back at vital Reespective flocal opinion, patient
Tand the impact Elsewhere, there are signs that the
fightback is gathering strength.
against the planned closure of the
West London hospital by Riverside
DHA has gained strength from the
retreat earlier in the year by Barney
Hayhoe, who shelved proposals to
close the Westminster Hospital for
(well justified) fear that it
Fulham by-election.
And on Monday November 10 an demonstration
centred on London's Bethlem Maudsley hospitals will take up the general issue of health cuts in London cantis and the Midlands
But Leiceser voted to stay national even after the NCB tried to bribe their General Secretary to join. Only one pit in the Midlands joined. Both pits and the workshop in Lancashire voted to stay
These losses were all body blows to the membership of 40,000 was never seriously believed by anybody but themselves. Just atter their formation their numbers were
The rule book of the UDM is a mix of old and new rules. Some of the rules have been copied straight from the NUM rule book, but new rules have been brought in to prevent disputes
he officials of the UDM are Genera Secretary Roy i ynk, President Ken Toon, Vice President George Hunter.. Other which the NCB pays somethings like a couple of pence for every tonne of coal wound in Notts - was administered by Notts Area union officals and NCB representatives.
Every year, Notts miners receive a nominal payment from the fund. Also many union officials receive expenses and gifts from the fund, which is now called the "Workmen's Allocation Fund". A copy of a cheque from the tund to Roy Lynk (UDM President) for a sum of f500 is one example the NUM have been able to get hold of.
The fund has alwasy been shrouded in secrecy and very few miners knew of its existence before the '84-85 strike. Only the trustees and board of management of the fund are allowed access to its books.
Management pulls
noteables are David Prendeghast and Neil
Greatrix.
Press are a nation of its all vote g
rights are the national officials and the
officials of each section. In addition there
will be section delegates; I delegate
1 delegate per 1,000. This gives Notts a
built-in majority.
There is also an advisory
council which meets twice October and March.
The NEC consists of the 3 national officials, the general secretary
section, plus one delegate for the first 7,000 members and one
consequent 7,000. This again gives Notts a
built-in majority.
The UDM paper is the old Notts Miner,
but full of vitriolic tripe, lies and inuendo The wages offer made to its management of a 5 per cent increase in basic rate over two years is the lowest offer made
annual wage review since BL was formed in 1968. Nor is the offer without strings. It is a part of a package which includes: norting patterns" specificalle they want a nine and three quarter hour Assembly plants, worsening conditions *merging the absenteeism and lateness: theoreticaly paying more money, but making the money harder to earn.
There have been serious problems of national ofticer has been getting his feet under that table and establishing his right wing credentials; and for the first time in two decades there is no militant leadership in the Assembly Plant to push the claim forward. As a result of this there have been no mass
since the wage claim was
There has not been a single leafiet from the negotiating committee telling the workforce what is going on, whilst the media has been pumping management's case, talking massive losses made by Austin Rover in the current financial year
AUSTIN ROVER
it is just like an NCB news-sheet. national year in previous agreement. of each for each Austin Rover pay sell-out convenors' strings deal. neotiating successtully conference of the wage round out about and
about the NUM and its leadership. In fact The acceptance of the NCB's offer of 5.2 per cent plus the revision of the pension UDM's innocence when it comes to negotiations. They ran in and signed an agreement to beat the NUM to a settlement. But they did not realise or since it The Even though the UDM were the darling Robert of the Tories during the strike and after, UDM. Many of the members still claim to be staunch Labour The SDP-Liberal Alliance, more so the SDP, has courted the UDM, inviting prominent leaders to the SDP conference. union. They seem ideal material for each other, By BILL PETERS review discussions. AUSTIN ROVER acceptance distorting the money offered - they lave been saying that ARG workers tand to gain fll per week out of the On Monday October 20 the ARG vote on committee. the INC. or or shop stewards to recommend acceptance of the package of tho negotiations he beon to take | by sece ballot rose sion wil be rakon "negotiations" has been to take | by secret ballot vote. Socialist Viewpoint No. 14 November-December 1986 p31
both middle of the road, with no policies, and both breakaways.
The only real hope for the UDM is the breakaway or expulsion of the EETPU from the TUC, which would probably aiso inspire the AEU to follow them and form some alternative TUC.
The UDM fits in well with these people
Tis prepared to sacrifice principles for money.
Anew chair of British Coal, Sir Haslam, built his career on industrial relations. Even he will realise that it is better to deal with one union. The coal owners and government realised this in the Spencer era.
The NUM must make a strong stand and force the NCB to disband their puppet the "new working patterns" out of the
Tand table it for separate
The deal ha been recommended for
with no previous involvement of the workforce at all. The only major plant to press for rejection was the Cowley Body Plant, where the leadership was mandated that way by the shop stewards.
The new right wing leadership in the Cowley Asembly Plant would not allow even the shop stewards in that plant to
Othe deal and pressed for acceptance at the JNC. They were fully supported by the Communist Party-led delegation from Longbridge.
There will now be mass meetings in most of the plants for information
A stockpile of BL Maestros.