KENNETH BAKER, the Environment Secretary, has slammed the door in Liverpool council's face. He has made it clear that they cannot borrow the f25 million pounds necessary to keep the city's services running. money will be available to pay the workforce.
strong council workforce have backed Liverpool city council's call for strike action against the Tory cuts. The largest anion — the GMBATU - have backed the call for strike action as has UCATT. But NUPE, the NUT, the NAS/UWT have voted not to even put the proposal to their members. The EEPTU members have said no to the strike. VALERIE COULTAS reports.
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Soon the council will be bankrupt and no As we go to press 10,600 members of the 30,000 SUBSCRIBE I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist Action for £ Send to: Socialist Action Subs, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP The GMBATU regional office tried to stop their members votine for the strike because "imquestions about the state of the city coun cil's finances remain unanswered.' This was the theme of disussion last Monday DELWCCI seven senior full-time officials of the public service unions and Labour coun cillors.
Several top trade union otticials in Liverpool are attempting Wednesday's strike call. to babular, Special free book offer!
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Eight issues for just £2! Instead appear ningham line urging all Labour councillors to stay in office and make cuts necessar. dominated council is being questions' persuade to increase the rates, raise council rents or use existung assets to necessary the £25 million council is unlikely to back down and make working people pay for Tory cuts. Derek Hatton, deputy leader, has dismissed the Kinnock line and said that all creative accounting options are rulea our in Liverpoo But Liverpool has considerable obstacies in taking on the Tories this year Every other major council of Lambeth has backed used *creative «OWI accounting' avoid confrontation with the Tories.
Plan Lowes, the chair of the council's joint shop steards committee, hailed the GMBATU vote 4,345 for a strike and 2,934 against as a victory but looking to other results h made it clear that 'We will not go it alone. We will only strike if a majority of workers voting favour'.
In Liverpool council budgeted for f80 millior more than that would pro duce. A week ago council workers, aware that the money was running out stopped the council issuing redundancy notices by locking the councillors out preventing the meeting taking place.
GMBATU members alone can bring the counci services to a halt because they do the essential work of keeping the city and the schools clean and safe If there is a majority for this : strike call the enmovement should the demand that the Tories give Liverpool back the money they have stolen from it.
If this said Steel's sabotaged threat to take the court against the counthrough "rapIdly will almost certainly be carried out. Any attempt administration beleagured city must be opposed by strike action of Tory commissioners.
Whatever • happens
mediately week the laboul movement the conference — must pur its full weight behind Liverpool. See page il • Lambeth under attack
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