dards of council tenants and workers.
The cuts were proposed after a government auditor had threatened bankrupt the councillors and them from office.
Faced with the alternative oI fighting the auditor and becoming another Clay Cross, giving in to the demand from central government to slash public spending, the council capitulated. But not all the councillors agreed to meet the demands of the auditor.
La oceline oi uic council's Labour of last Wednesday week, councillors voted for defiance. After losing the vote, one of the ten, Phil Turner, said bitterly: "This is a night a parrot.
council's ine pIUposals include raising council rents by £3.50 a week; freezing wages this year for more than 1,500 council manual workers and cutting 600 jobs in counci building department.
The council will be faced with a fight when it tries to impose the cuts.
John Suddaby, secretary of the local NUPE branch, told Socialist Challenge: 'We will be considering a campaign OTACTON. dustrial action to force ine councu to reverse Is policy and stand up to the auditor. we will Ink this fight to the whole question of government policy.
Strike John Suddaby said that among the options now being considered by leaders of the local unions and tenants was a rents and strike. John expects nis members to back such an acand he added that LON. for NUPE's par! they would be considering industrial action, including one-day Sall. strike on 4 March'.
was by Camden NUPE two vears ago wnien nas indirectly led to the auditor threatening to take the council to court. John Suddaby During the 'winter of discontent' Camden council made a local settement with its low-paid workers after an strike This settement Camden NUPE.
agreed nationally and Clalllls the auditor, Pickwell, was •SO unreasonable in law' Pickwell's warning about court action could have cost each councillor around £60,000.
But it would have been a year before the against the counCasc cillors would have reached the courts a delay which, argue „ The local Labour left, would nave given the council plenty of time lo organise resistance te the auditor. thousand people turned demonstrate against meeting of Solihull coun- the LULS at cil. Despite backing by local authority unions, the majority the demonstrators were school student and young people.
Labour At the council meeting, six Tory councillors - horrified by the response to the proposed cuts put forward plan involvalc lative John Suddaby sees the backing of the council as having national codeet of es. "The pre cedent of successful auditor threat will have been set if the council impose their cuts. If Camden is hit it could be any council next.
hundred people marched against ine culs in camaen on Saturday in a demonstration called by the campaign save the Camden Journal.
Journalists on the newspaper WelC told closed since then they have been on official strike.
Although journalists on London local papers have voted against a second city-wide one-day strike, NUJ office branches are rising funds to maintain the strike.
The weekly Save the Journal newspaper, produced by the strikers and local supporters, has backed opponents of the Camden council cuts announced last week.
Support and donations to: Save the Journal Camder NW1. Tel 01-485 8207/8. Now JOIN JOURNAL Save the UNDER TORY HEEL COUNCIL CRUSHED We're cock-a-hoopt It's your march tool Splash fout on premier CAMDEN FESTIVAL
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THE Labour-controlled council in the Lon- don borough of Camden decided last week to impose sweeping cuts in the living stan-