As the Tory government enters its second year, its determination to rip into the welfare state continues. For the Tories, who have no illusions as to where their interests lie, the reasons are self-evident.
The only way they can put capi. talism back on its feet is by cutting workers' wages either directly (by an incomes policy) or indirectly (by cut-backs in the welfare state). Frightened of taking on the big unions in struggles over pay, they have opted for the second. A survey of proposed public spending cuts for the coming years shows just what they have in store.
* HOUSING Housing is to be cut by 13% in 1981, compared to when the Tory government first came to power, people, the Tories announced a 5% increase in health care by 1883/4. In fact, when the inflation rate is taken into account, health will have suffered a massive cut.
If you don't believe it, just look at the number of hospitals being currently closed around the country.
DEFENCE The result of these cut-backs will not only be decrepit housing, outof-date schools and inadequate health care stretching into the next decade, but a massive increase in the jobless total.
In education alone, for example, it was recently leaked that the government was projecting cuts that would lead to a decrease of over 100,000 employees (50% of which would be teachers). Just been occupied. ongoing anti-cuts campaign.
WARNING ent the Tory proposals. it is pursuing?
FIGHT-BACK challenge Thatcher.
R It was undoubtedly this pressure which forced the Labour leaders to call a national day of action against the cuts last year. But, while they have been willing to speak loudly and mount one-day protests, they have refused to turn this mounting anger into an On the contrary, figures such as Jim Callaghan has issued stern warnings against unions using any industrial muscle to defend jobs or the social services. Moreover, they have given no lead to Labour controlled councils up and down the country to refuse to implemThe main concern of Callaghan and others seems to be combining protest actions with weak-kneed appeals to 'wait' for the return of a Labour government in 4 years.
This is not exactly surprising... After all, when he was in office, didn't he slash social expenditure by a record 30%? How can he be The Tery some sympathy for the policies