WE ARE NOW coming Jenkin set 15 January as the final date for councils to appeal against his set spending limits.
All 18 ratecapped authorities in London have decided not to appeal and are therefore on course for a confrontation. This was called for Saturday 19 January to prepare for fightback London when councils have to decide on their budgets.
At the conference next regional executive •IaWI seven-clause Slatclicll views on how to tight ratecapping (see SA No84).
There are 8 amendments being put forward for debate. aimed at firming up the existing statement.
Hackney South's amends clause six, which urges councils to unite around not sellilig a lale suggests that while councils should unite around the strategy ot non-compliance the tactical question of how to fight budgeting or not setaronea Gclcl ting a rate) should be decided according ocal cuculstalles.
Vauxhall CLP calls 'on all councils to take such action to ensure tnat tney run out of money simultaneously eg by transfering assets out of the city to sure that they run out of money at the same time.
The Fire Brigades Union have moved an amendment which urges any councillor who through their personal cirumstances would find unable to support the GLLP statement to resign now with 'honour and dignity' DOSILIVC Stact l policies forcibly democratically elected councillors from carrying out the manifesto they elected on.
Several London boroughs
already adopted the FBU position on inis. jonn Wills, a Igllt-willg Labour councillor in Camden has recently announced his resignation Bow and Poplar coming from Tower Hamlets where a right-wing Labour group is pledged to abide by the ratecap limits on spending, THE SERIOUSNESS of what the government is proposing dawned on us at the beginning of last year, which is why joint shop stewards' committees (JSSCs) in London boroughs really gol off the ground. London campaign of the JSSCs across London, met in Hackney on 5 March and we've pulled the 11 rate-capped boroughs in as the core of our campaign.
Through the autumn the campaign has consolidated into a rather powerful organisation. We are concerned with one issue: the financial cuts and the 1984 Rates Act.
The basis of Our policy: not to cut jobs or services and to defend local democracy.
solutely of the view that we shouldn't our own jobs DaVC mechanism of putting up rents. If the Rate Support Grant were restored London boroughs, to walll the executive possibility of using.
with the government.
The will probably with the urges the executive to London Bridge organisation.
the hit list co-cordinated we cole Its March ratecapping Led for.
the fight.
Different Saturday the many as 1,500 up discuss ratecapping. its lots of smaller workforce.
o l t wo q! a few right wing againsı a ignl resolution because Labour majority.
If four right Tories through At the GLC the Labour LO SaV Ovolac su alcsy enanother question.
themselves of those councils which to fight.
that councils SUdill were to make the Jenkin even if they wanted too. have Iens.
tuk non-cooneration strike actions, sit-ins, Bridge, the Led. We want people in their boroughs.
clearly consider it government change its mind. campaigning more than symbolic actions.
We are abthrough support one-day rates and in defence of their jobs.
Socialist Action 18 January 1985 IO 'explore the sancuons aralsi Labour Councils who do co-operate Islington North amendment cause some controversy delegates because work with the Shop Stewards "This special annual meeting notes the formation of the London Bridge Joint shop stewards organisation from boroughs, in London and coniatulicl fight 'It agrees to include the London Bridge organisation with any plans of campaign and further agrees to provide any material assistance that may be askIt's very important that we unite the trade unions, the Labour groups and constituencies in the borougns to win councils have achieved different levels of sucess on this front.
Some have held meeting; with council workers Others have had meetings It is also vital that we build support for Labour groups in each borough.
In Hackney you can afford to have Labour councillors compliange nesolution will still be can- the nonhave got a huge yuu In a borough like Camden, with a majority of seven it's a difterent story.
wingers vote with the can't get your policy group has not decided its policy yet. It's difficult which wav it's going to lump I'm fairly sure the group will adopt a But whether or not there will be sufficient numbers to vote in council is The aim of this conference must be achieve unitv around a non-compliance strategy and to mobilise both trade unionists and constituencies in support are beginning in London, like Hackney and Islington, have no choice but to fight because they cannot afford level of cuts required by The whole balances question is one of how much money is avallable. The Paple who know that are in the Town Fortunately the government has set the rate limits so low that most councils are so far out of liné on what they need spend with Jenkins limits that they will have to go into confrontation. could actually start reducing rates and We want our JSSCs to implement a For whatever to support that, and to develop solidarity action with any borough that's attackcouncils to yal c budgets based on the needs of ordinary The next time we call industrial action — and we're asking our unions to — we want it to be Ior real. Dart or a stralegy lo make tle We want This is the last ditch in defence of the jobs that we have and the services we provide. That's not to say we won't actions, but our mempers exredrame mme mere called out, it's for real industrial action NEXT TO THE miners' strike the
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crunch period in the battle to de- fend local government in London.
North Labour Party and Secretary of Ealing Local Government Committee