their strike for London weighting.
modified demand of parity that of the concil manual workers.
return to work conditions. OLIVER The had developed into a major test of strength between the union and the council. Ironically the Ealing Labour council, which only took office last May, is those branded press and Tory politicians, who delight in asking local resident Neil Kinnock his attitude Ealing's discrimination against lesblans and gays policy.
Ealing NALGO has spent the last few years wrestling with a Tory administration. Although it was relatively successful in maintaining staff levels, Ealing had become one of the lowest paying authorities in London, but with one of the highest living. xpenses Here lay the basis UNAL TS CalE for inner London weighting, which was already paid to staff in neighbouring Brent and to teachers in Ealing.
The first indication of the new councll s patronis ing and negative attitude io wolkels was tile Imposttion of a 65 per cent rate Socialists within the ISC.
Labour Party who pointed out the effects of this living standards were denounced as putting forward Tory arguments.
Even so-called members of the 'hard left' supported this rate rise, being unwilling to go down the road of a deficit budget and to put the blame at the door of the Tory government.
This balance-thebooks approach is based on a pessimism about the chances of mobilising workers. unster their philosophy is that councu must do things for the workers. NALGO's claim was looked at in this light.
The group believed that only they had the right to decide priorities and deeply resented the 'cheek' of their workforce in placing any demands on them.
Next year the council will be rate-capped, and it was 11U doubt quietly EALING COUNCIL NALGO members have won Following a three-to-one vote to continue their strike at a mass meeting on Monday 30 April, and an occupation by 80 strikers of the council Technical Services Building on Tuesday, the council acceded to the 2500 strikers London weighting to Lower grades will receive an immediate rise of f282 and higher grades will get the same increase over two years. Discussions over holiday and pension benefits and a no victimisation clause are continuing as part of the NEW reports. preparing. to retreat shed jobs. This would of course require a docile workforce. Il is interesting to note that NALGO has been targetted concils several te ve adopted very similar tactics in contronting their workforces similar ends.
This attack by local councils on their own workforces is CyClI more suicidal given that everyone knows that if Thatcher wins a third term, local authorities will face a huge cash crisis. They should be seeking unity with their attacks not dirty work for them by assaulting the Lululs When Ealing NALGO took selective action, thei council reponded by sending home workers withOUL pay. This led to walk-out by spontaneous nunareds of workers.
Subsequent mass meetings and a secret ballot produced an overwhelming. majority for all-out indefinite strike action.
Just like reactionary employer the Labour council saw this as a challenge by upstarts to their right to manage.
They gritted their teeth to defy this challenge and to put the union in its place.
Simultaneously they developed sudden SOCCE concern for the low paid. While refusing to negotiate at all over the claim for London weighting, they made small offers which would cover some of the lowest paid staff only. this way they pretended to stand in eft-wing position while at LuC sammie time trying to break up the unity of the UlU| ked strikes victor has blocked boosted the confidence of the NALGO members significantly strengthened organisation, Laurale the council powerful lesson for the future. closing the Uddingston plant when its products are needed by millions of hungry people all over the have campaign with Wai imponded the •CUIpany's court action.
Speaking at the rally in Glasgow, Campbell Christie of the STUC pledged the continued support of the general concil McGahey of the Scottish Area NUM said 'Caterpillar doe belong lo le American bosses — it belongs to the Scottish people'. Focus This fight for jobs has fight jobs Scotland, and its success would be a huge step forward for all of us.
Despite a major concession made by the ABU leadership in agreeing that aie lenus oi duy cas wild the Caterpillar management will be set by agreement that production would cease at the Uddingston plant, tue company still refuses to negotiate.
Management were clearly of the opinion that the court interdict would do the job of ending the occupation. They also THE APPEALS committee of the NUT, a body composed exc usive v ot nationa executive members has decided to uphold the right of the National Officers of the Union to appeal against what they consider to be too lenient penalties handed down by the National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) on the 50 officers ana counch mempers or the Innner London Teachers Association (ILTA).
The ILTA members were suspended from the union for organising 'unofficial' action on 13 January against the which has since become the Teachers' Pay and Conditions law The NDC decided that although the members were technically guilty of breaking Rule 8, the rule Boves te callas or official action, they should suffer no further penalty than the suspension from the union that had taken place between 7 January and 7 February, with the ILTA officers being EETPU licaaersnlp itself from fray where committee member, Jimmy Airlie, told that