THE CRUNCH is coming for Sheffield City Council. Its meeting on the 24 April will decide whether the campaign But unlike previous meetings this vote will not avoid the issue of illegality. With no rates, the council will quickly run into the red and councillors will face the possibility of legal action. So far the Labour group leadership has avoided directly breaking the law.
At its 7 March meeting the council decided that it was 'unable' to set a rate.
it dia not reluse to set a Tale as this would have been illegal. Three further meetings have beer adjourned rather than face ine Issue nead-on. Centra to the leadership's tactics nas been the idea that Sheffield should avoid going illegal as long possible.
The over-optimistic view was encouraged that this might be enough to force Jenkin the negotiating table. But there 1s a solid bloc of councillors who wil not be prepared break the law, Labour group leadership has bent over backwards to maintain unity with this right wing.
Tremendous support has been won from the counci WUrKIUICE. from local people. against rate-capping will continue.
In the council workforce there has been a campaign wurkolace meetings, leafletting, etc, win support , Tor Ine council's stand against NALGO members have pledged £4500 to a fund in defence of councillors facing legal costs.
Sheffield Heeley Labour Party With all this support it is untortunate to sav the least that the council has done a number of things which undermine the campaign. Some heads of department have imposed a freeze on vacancies, and asked for cuts in spending, even though this is not official policy. Council tenants have been asked to pay the rate at the ratecapped level.
In addition, council workers have been asked to deter two nours pay un til April. Worse still, 3000 workers ine direct department have been locked out in dispute over bonus. Abolition of bonus is local party, council policy. In an effort to get management to implement this. policy, the workers have been refusing to fill in time sheets. the department was losing large sums ot monev as a result. and management locked out une worklorce.
These actions are the result of a failure to take a clear stand on 7 March. They are aimed at reducing counci costs so tha the day the council goes into the red is postponed, while the appearance of a fight is kept up.. Now the fight is for the campaign to continue beyond 24 April.
The best way for this to happen is for the leadership to refuse to set a rate. Any ruage on this issue. will dissipate the support that has been won. Sheffield Labour leader David Blunkett ledas the Democracy Day demonstration in London last March. His stand on Sheffield council is leading to a fudge.