defence.
Unfortunately, rather than using these actions as for a serious fight with the sne Tune and the health TUC and the health service unions, NUPE and have altempled to play down and limit the have already called.
Neither Rodney Bickerstaffe of NUPE, nor Hector Mackenzie of COHSE supported the call by nurses to be allowed to address the March The reason was simple. Any purse who spoke would •chanengea tem 1o strike or ra rapur, genera).
action COHSE.
NUPE, Central Manchester Health Authority COHSE itself has been in retreat since calling for 14 March, that in areas in the end all COHSE proposed was lunch time vigils outside hospitals. in this ther have been ably assisted by the NUPE leadership, which in some cases refused to back even COHSE's limited action.
And despite his call to 'Make budget NHS day', totally silent on Neil Kinnock was force Lawson to come up with the funds the NHS desperately needs.
But the problem is not confined to their silence on how to actually win the cant piece of scabbing scabbing South Yorkshire went out of their Name Address I enclose cheque/PO payable to Socialist Action for £ THE demonstration for the national health service on 5 March, and the response to the call for a day of action on 14 March, were magnificent. They gave a small indication of the breadth of support for the NHS and the potential for the campaign in its their decision to strike on 14 March in support of the ' health service.
Now all the leadership is offering is a series of selective actions, accompanied by une usual inand CONSE. between NUPE The health service campaign faces a crossroads. Either this lack leadership will wear down and demoralise the fight defence oine NHS or •ways will have to be "revue une There has not been a consistent national response the various calls for action on the bealth. some where there have been successful actors recent weeks, there was probably a slight decline in support Tora March.
Nevertheless technical staff at Manchester Royal Infirmary took hour suike action, will broader strike action at other ManChester hospitals.
In London there remals a lga lever or support for strike action in the hospitals. with support be ing won from bus drivers Heathrow [ram orivers at Cross. Unfortunately London NUPE callca Ior action on 15 March thus splitting the movement.
In areas where action recently has been MOre limited, such as Sheffield and Newcastle, 14 March showed stepped up volvement.
The level of organisation among those who walt lignl higher already than it was at any DUlll une 3982 campaop Stewards restrike stewards SURIKO committees bring together SUBSCRIBE Inland Enterprises, PU Box 50, London NI. stewards and activists who want to beyond the limitations imposed by the labour movement leadership.
Alongside these there are bodies such as London Health Emergency with more than 220 affiliates in Lace community groups. Similar bodies are now being set up in other areas.
This type of campaigning organisation, together with the organisation hospital stewards and activists, can be a real point of pressure to prevent the backslıdıng the leadership.
• A national health shop stewards volving these committees coula nelp araw in those areas which have so far not been so well organised. A properly built national with delegaLIONS trom the hospitals and the stewards committees exchange useful information about what is going on in other areas.
Nevertheless neither these committees collectively, nor such a national official cally for inated official action from the unions and the Move leil whole.
The unprecedented level of activity that has already taken place in the hospitals, despite the difficulties of large scale action the hospitals because of the need to provide emergency READERS have cover, has indicated the willingness of health serthe NHS.
Busworkers, train drivers, miners, groups of engineering workers, have all showa Ina. the whole working prepared to defend the NHS despite the obstructions of the national Lovemenl leadership There can be no doubt that the response to a clear call for one day strike acfrom the Party would be overwhelming.
The coming nurses pay ancillary workers pay claim, Thatcher's 'review of the NHS', the fight against privatisa tion especially in Scotland as well as the continuing overall crisis of the NHS will ensure that tinues to be a major issue in the next few months The argument for • the TUC to call day of general part of an escalating campaign of action in defence of the NHS as the only wa to force the Tories to back down has to be stepped up The failure of Neil Kinnock and Robin Cook to clearly endorse nurses' actions has undermined the campaign of both the health worker Labour itself in defence c the NHS.
The opportunity of the local elections MOUS now be taken to turn this around. But not in empty rhetoric, the real anger among health workers, and health service users must mobilised in serious challenge to Thatrundown of the health service Now that Lawson has shown that he prefers to give tax concessions to hi rich friends rather than the NHS should now change the terms of the debate. Rather than the '2p for the NHS campaign, the issue should focus enormous spending on Trident, and Othe weapons systems, calling for transfer of this spending to the NHS.
Alongside the call for a one day general strike, this policy unite the whole working class in a real campaign in defence of the NHS
----- pull-quotes -----
Send to: Socialist Action Subs, PO Box 50, London NI 2XP. Registered by a rema Beerit eh. PO BoX 50, i.
12 issues £6 24 issues £12
upport yo NHS
Publications fund drive INHS DAY