both on the first page student-worker alliance.
However, there are some factual misof the supple ment (see "The Action Now') and in the article on London action over class sizes.
The demand for a sliding scale of social expenditure had already been raised in the previous issue of Red Weekly (3 June - the one sold at the Manchester conference), and was implicit in the call by Val Coultas for an immediate cash injection into the social services and in the demand for the immediate implementation of 1969 National Union of Teachers policy on class size.
But it's possible that the comrades also perhaps have different political concepuons. ror us ine most important thing is to try to grasp the precise political moment in terms of how to highlight a particular demand and push forward the general strategy of the In terms of the supplement, this turned around three things in the wake of the Manchester conference: to re-stress the 'no special case' argument; to underline the importance of the 16 June lobby of the TUC in terms of building an alliance with the working class; and to
The Confederation of Health Service Employees will mount a campaign against NHS cuts 'at the right moment', its annual conference in Brighton last week was told by general secretary Albert Spanswick. But now is never the 'right moment' for bureaucrats. Sure enough, Spanswick was speaking against the only resolution which projected even limited action to be taken now.
For the COHSE executive, anything which threatens its cosy relationship with the Labour Government is to be strenuously resisted. Unlike the other health service unions, the COHSE leadership has barely maintained a fig-leaf of opposition to the cuts • which have already stripped £284m from NHS funds over the next threee years. 'The NHS is fortunate to have got off so lightly', is the response of Resistance to the cuts came across most strongly at last week's conference in response to an emergency resolution from the executive, which artfully linked opposition to further health cuts with support for the new pay policy. The resolution was carried by 1698 votes to 543, but only after numerous delegates had denounced the manoeuvre of posing wage cuts as a necessary means of defending the NHS.
*Most of our members have done best when there was some kind of incomes policy; when the lower paid are treated with some justice, Spanswick told the conference, quoting £49 as the average wage for ancillary workers. But Tom Harber from Maidstone informed the confer: ence that this was only possible by working weekends, bank holidays, and overtime. Red Weekly 1 July 1976 situation and exchange ideas was East Birmingham General Hospitals pointed out while seconding it. He stressed that the key to a health service unions and the wider the composite led to a large vote against it.
Democracy mously supported the abolition of private practice inside and outside to Parliament', overwhelmingly rejecting a proposal to throw out the Goodman deal and take up an pay beds. a beginning, as Patrick Sikorski from successful campaign was co-ordinated action at a local and national level with other labour movement. But the assurances of the executive and the weakness of And while the conference unanithe NHS, it preferred to leave this active campaign for the removal of gales.
But the executive was defeated on three attempts to tighten its grip on union democracy and involvement in the wider labour movement. Delegates voted down proposals to reduce the frequency of rule-changing conferences; limit the size of regional executives; and prevent branches from paying trades council affiliation fees from ordinary funds.
Providing a focus for the left in the union is clearly vital, and the defence of the NHS is the most immediate task. Delegates who attended a meeting organised by the National Co-ordinating Committee against NHS Cuts agreed to circulate petitions calling for the implementation of the Labour Party's policy on health, and to organise for the lobby of the Labour Party conference. Over 40 NCC bulletins were sold to deleCOHSE/Gays Yet another group of trade union bureaucrats - the annual conference of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions last week gave its blessing to the 4½ percent pay deal This outcome was never in doubt. since it had all been fixed beforehand The keynote speaker was Industry Minister Eric Varley, who spelt out the full implications of the Government's "nationalisation' proposals for the ship building and aerospace inausues 'No soft option' was his major theme.
Scanlon slavishly led a standing ovation fot a policy speech which means the further destruction of thousands of Jobs. Then ne went on to moan thai "enough is enough' when confronted with the latest rise in the unemployment figures.
With the vote to accept the Healey pay deal, the rest of the conference was so much pious window-dressing. All the predictable motions on the guaranteed week, the reduction of hours, etc. were passed - but as Scanlon pointed out, they have to be viewed 'in the light of the Government/TUC agreement' There was not one word about the savage cuts in public expenditure; the question of women's equality received a paternalistic hearing; and "political motions were neatly placed at the bottom of the agenda. One district delegate who raised the question of racism and fascism was rebuked by the chariman for not concentrating on industrial matters.
Only the token motion on Chile was hastily passed as delegates rushed to complete business a day early. They were anxious to bask in the sun at Tor quay, where unemployment stands at 9.7 per cent; and to spend their lat expense cheques in the hotels, where bar staff receive the princely sum of 43p per hour!
A. Haine
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WHO PAYS FOR THEIR SUN TAN?