vices which will force councils to make thousands of their staff redundant.
›The Labour Party and town hall Lambeth, are making a stand against further cuts. They are sponsoring a national conference for local councilors and local councillors trade unionists who prepared to organise action now.
PHYLLIS DUNIPACE, chairperson of the Labour Party local government committee in Lambeth and a delegate to the conference working party, Socialist Challenge the aims of the conference and how it is being built.
On the working party have representatives of all the local authority unions : Lambeth NALGO, T&GWU, •NUPE, NUT. There are also delegates from each of the constituency national support, but about a dozen councis have sponsored the LORCUICI with Labour Parties. NUPE is involved nationally, in and all the other unions at least. in London.
and We are inviting the national executives of the local authority and other unions to send official delegations. members of the NEC Lavin Most the Party have sent their support, and we are asking the NEC to back the conference. told Response about We expect a good response from unions and from Labour Parties nationally the cuts which are threatened in by the gövernment.
We hope that delegates at the conference themselve fight the …to ludge policies so far local authorities.
need conference, councils are not to be isolated and picked off one-by-one.
Labour
refuse to make any cuts. The alcrnauve or rate which many adopted, is probably ruled out this year. Rate increases cannot fill the gap between what the governement is providing and the money needed to save jobs major and services.
Claw back
left-wing The already authorities' money three times, and in November it will impose even more cuts. Some councils which • Hesletine overspent may also be liable to a claw. back in the rate support Al all. because of The latter provides most of the money that local authorities receive from ment. In my opinion, rate inpledge creases should not be made as the they are simply another from of constituency cut, and and restore funds Rate joint action tions which should ing off workers.
increases, Support have • Januar government has next year the thinks Of the other unions.
affected by cuts in central governworking people are increases would not save the direct labour organisaare already being affected by cuts in the capital spending programme and lay Benedict's shown We hope that trades unionists will support the stand of the OUL refusing to co- They operate with the cuts and new demonstrated government legislation, such as the sale of council houses. Our main calt is for industrial action when council budgets are being drawn up for We think this should in volve extended strike action by local authority unions to bring local government to a halt. I TEN months' occupation of St Hospital have anyone still doubted it - the inhumanity of the Tory cuts and the savagery Health Service ministrators in carrying them have • also that it is the of hospital workers who run the NHS as a caring service, as best they can with scandalously inadequate facilities. They don't need managers any more than steelworkers need McGregor. Benedict's comes at the end of a series of hospital occupations Weren have included Hounslow., Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, and St George's at Hyde Park Corner.