widespread industrial action so far in London action was in ILEA; and the London Bridge Committee, Which It has taken a long time for make the government the various bodies involy- hack of. or will it lake more substantial action? on a common project. Why has it taken There have been a number so long, and is it going to one-day strikes this Last? year. The difference betI'll take the second part ween 7 November and the first. I nis is determinea by other one-day strikes is how long we're going to that this time we dECI nouncing the arrival of the have to fight.
I think that the cam- triple local government workers.
Dalgn agalst tale-cappu s This is just the start of a is going to be a short-term one It will last six montns, campaign of industrial actwelve at the most. tion to show the governround against rate capping LUSC the first ment, groups within the to show local the then whichever borough is authorities, that we are not prepared to surrender jobs rate-capped or potentially rate-cappea the year after will have lost this year and services. We know that one-day action is a strictly limited the argument.
One fight has to take affair. can lead place this year. This has got to be understood now, whole host of problems.
ecause if after April this We need to persuade our boroughs rate- members that all-out strike capped then there will be an appropriate no fight. step to take.
The reason the cam- The 7 November can paigns have taken so long be built on to legitimise the triple alliance, and to give to get together is because basically there hasn't been us the authority to go to common eremy. But Labour politicians and say what is the point of stopp- 'We need you in a unitea ing abolition if we're going front tactic against the be rate-capped out of proposals, to break the law if necessary. If you existence We stopi ped the aboli- •01E walll to break the tion of ILÉA, but now law, it is time you resigned and let people in to do the it out job which is necessary. started out fighting aboli- What in your view has tion, and we're now work- been the role of Labour ing WILD borough Groups? paigns to fight ratecapping. The position between the They both mean more groups the and more central govern- unions on abolition ment control over local rate-capping, that WC democracy and local ser- recognise the problems vices. which thev tace. in terms of surcharge, debarrment from public office and so Will a pressure campaign on. have. shown that the The Labour politicians workers are not prepared are going to have to make to have their jobs sacrifictheir minds UD They ed. Then the onus is on the either on the side of the Labour politicians because workers or on the side of the community at large has the Tories. It's as simple as demonstrated that they that. support the retention of the GLC, and the retention of services.
GLC DORI conference decisions were: no We know our break the law if we have OWlE niterai situation in to, to fight the Tories. We the GLC that there are real hope the Labour groups problems We are engaged adopt conference policy. Labour group V dialogue with County The Bridge Hall to determine whether Committee will send an we can go forward with the open letter Labour group: councillors asking: will The campaign so far in you abide by Come cult terms influencing decisions or not? If you Lords, MPs, and opinion- do, great! If not, the time formers done nothing to influence las pose cope reared one to leave is now. Let us proprepared GC workers on the need to take industrial action to challenge Tory laws. defend their jobs. That has If we get that kind of been undertaken by DFL.
ullulls.
Are there lessons from the the Liverpool experience? community, an irresistible force.
I think that the Liverpool will not be able to defeat experience is important for local authority workers in that we need to build It will mean massive inunited campaign between dustrial action. will the groups, the mean a massive campaign. trade unions, and the users But does need the groups. 100,000 political will, honest the political will has and lo be workers on strike we will been lacking. County Hall generations, War and the 'hot' Korean
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against the Tory attacks on local government. The called by the newly formed triple
alliance' of local government unions in the capital. The bodies in the triple alliance are Democracy For London (DFL) which is made up of the GLC trade unions; the Save ILEA Campaign and. unions
is based on the unions in the hit-list authorities. JIM FITZPATRICK, Acting Secretary of DFL, spoke to PAT HICKEY about the new stage in the local government fightback in London.