Don't let St Benedict's fight alone

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THE full force of the law is being aimed at the two hundred Staff at St Benedict's Hospital in South London, who have been in. occupation against closure.

Injunctions issued last week aimed to stop leading figures in the occupation committee blocking jurther raids private ambulances under the direction of the local health authority.

In the first raid on Tuesday of last week, 100 pickets foiled the first bid with only six of the 104 patients removed.

Further clauses in the writs prohibit local union officials entering the hospital to speak to their members. Success One of those named in the writ is Nigel Beckett, regional officer of the Confederation of by Health Service Employees, who said Friday's picket:

"This legal move is unprecedented. It is a measure of the determination of the staff and the success of the occupation that management has been forced to use such desperate measures as the raids and these Writs.

Staff anger at the hospital was running Tuesday raid. The snatch of the Six elderly patients disturbed other patients in this hospital.

The large patients still left make it dif mass ficult for the management to mount a blitzkrieg raid of the type carried Out. by bosses in Hounslow two years ago.

Comply Nevertheless has to comply with the directive of. Gerrard Minister of Health, to go ahead closure Benedict's.

Ambulance workers have threatened action if the private tion.

These high after the be left courageous seriously hospitals in long-term geriatric the event of renewed raids.

Threat number The threat to health ment by management Vaughan, the the mass picket last Friday:

of ambulance fleet is involved in another smash and grab operaworkers should not alone their Other make pledges of stoppages in the right to picket presented by the injunctions and continuous harasspolice of the pickets outside the hospital should be the subject of a broader campaign by the South-east Region As Bert Luthers, Labour councillor for Tooting, said on "The real aim of this closure is for the Tories to be able to and elderly? flog off the hospital to the private sector. It's a sick joke . Support that you get served with an in- Hospital.