THE LIVERPOOL CITY council meeting last week Day 1984.
pool's Liberal and Tory parties alike, and capitulation from the top ranks of Labour's own leadership, , 42 councillors stood firm on a budget to fulfill the necessary and popular promises which brought them to power last May.
The city is rightly proud of its council's stand. Offering a lame amendment to bring the budget. into line with Tory restricLiberal Sir Trevor Jones called Labour's proposals 'a propaganda exercise' an expensive charade'. The Liberals led. a miserably unsuccesstul attack on the councillors drawing council allowances to the "tune of £7000 a. year'.
'Derek Hatton was the best paid Marxist in the country claimed Liberal. 'Aye and he worth every shouted a woman from the public gallery to the cheers the meeting. 'The Labour Partv Liverpool today the Labour Party nationally in 10 years' another Liberal claimed. This 'prophecy' brought Ovation the public gallery.
Despite the obvious support for Labour's proposals, renegades the seventh was 'sick' that day — one peral. and the lories supported an amendment to deter the decision and reconsider 'making a legal and acceptable rate' which would allow the council to re-open futile discussions WiTh the Departmenl the Environment.
BOLI Liocials Tories have requisitioned a special council meeting to re-discuss the budget. This obliges Labour to set a date for that meeting within seven days. But it allows the choice of when it takes place Confident the Labular of hit fires meeting. after this year's elections. candidates already pledged to supplith that same budget. authority of public opinion behind them the new council will be in an even Despite government threats supported by Liverstronger position to stand out against government threats.
So far Liverpool lacks the whole hearted support it deserves. Many promiphoto:
nent caooursens Tentall fer sive a moral Support:
weak moral support But they are quick to point out there is nothing practical they can do. This 1 not true. It leaves them an avenue to retreat when the fight starts in earnest.
Liverpool doesn't get the support of all the labour movement it will go down. Derek Hatton, Labour's deputy leader in Liverpool summed up this position when said: 'When they came for the Jews I did nothing; when they came unionists I did nothing; when they Cane lor there was no one left to protect me' Front-line councils next year will be facing what Liverpool faces today. Without the resistance of all the labour movement they will go down. Between now the local elections it is in their interests that Labour oullas me maximum support for Liverpool.
parties, local LaDOU! authority trade unions and local council groups acting together can bring the needed pressure on ine Labour make it act against all anti-working Legislation ant is means legislation. supporting all those in the who have stepped outside the Tory laws to defend their interests their democratic rights, It means support for the miners' pickets relass to move hose refusing move coal. And it means going down to the end of the with Liverpool city TOXO council.
UAZOLAGTION 23 MARCH 920 WOULD MEMBER AFFICIATED TRO ATTUC PLEASE O THE PICKE TALIN member of that union's London district committee, a personal capacity. THE March had much wider support than people expected. Why was this?
Judith: There has been a build-up of dissatisfacLi over the last or SO. We have a much more aggressive management who take lots of petty disciplinary action. growing feeling that this is due to •the preparanon for the transfer Under Weighell there was no leadership. Since Knapp was elected the activists have had more confidence and have begun to come to the fore. We have a left-led District Council which has given a lead and fought for it. The DC has DILL ll as. organised flying pickets, anu so vil Patrick: Since the defeat in '82 there has been a big reorganisation of the unions. With Knapp, there has been a real development of cooperation bet ween the unions in Ll This the first year that the NUR and ASLEF have made a joint submission on the pay claim.
There have been joint branch meetings, cooperation between mulilalits The London at the Transport depots.
Trade Union Committee which embraces all the L1 unions, has been set up The main political reason paganda campaign made 16-20,000 jobs were under clear that threat. promises about no compulsory redundancies were wOrthless.
Judith: The GLO leaders …ody that some things are matters for the This is a cop-out.
unions.
It should give a clear lead to the unions. It should take int road, involve the the Regional LP, Group ficularly he rank and file the unions leadership.
Now what?
Judith: LT gave a clear Tene outes of the strike success has been a big boost tor the unions. The next step is for the different unions the GLC to get together to vlall out strategy defending London against the Tories. I think such a conference needs to adopt the LTTUC policy of oppiss and break up break GLC.
Patrick: This should be the basis for ference of all the unions Transport around the Day of Action and say what affected by the Tory plans GLC, ILEA, local authorities, LT to defend jobs and services.
nere a resolution from the NUR DC (LT) at Ine regional executive of London movement 1 nIs needs to be pushed in every The DC reorganised in this period. It used to be a very routine body, a bil like a glorified branch. It has drawn built shop stewards system, and it has cam paigned for recruits to the Inis na. given the membership conJudith: Some of the response was due to the attacks on the unions. There was an ele ment of loyalty. The Vic toria line has never beer Saul COWI betore in strikes. We used the ScottLithgow example Ic plain that they would be the first for privatisation This had a big effect.
Did the GEC • campaign around Day have much effect?
Patrick: The members saw the GLC policies over cheap fares as reversing a long decline. Cheap fares has passengers, and this has ai least given partial protection to jobs.
Judith: The strike call was seen by the member as tied up with the GLO and was easier o build for that reaso routes that would be lost helped to build up the feeling of wide support.
The initial call was tol strike on thẹ 29th, but the rUC stepped in to chang that to the 28th. I think i should have been the 29th, because only strike action will defend jobs and services The GLC campaign has big impact. The of local branch leadership: was also essential. At Finsbury Park we got Ken Liv ingstone to speak. He had a big impact.
Patrick: Under the GLC there has been an erosion of jobs, with one person operation on buses and tubes. The GLC ha mainly concerned itself with cheap fares. This is tect jobs.
to defeat the Tories, will need to rely on the work force.
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is a beacon on the dark sea of Thatcher's punitive local government laws — a symbol of Democracy
London says: Take the Liverpool road JUDE ARKWRIGHT a member of Finsbury Park branch of the NUR and PATRICK SIKORSKI a
tell Socialist Action what happened on London they think should happen next. Both are speaking in