SHOP STEWARDS at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in North London are organising a trace union conrerence us watur day 12 February to discuss support tor ine nignt to prevent une nos pital's closure.
The conference follows hard on the heels of the news that the local Area Health Authority (AHA) has postponed its closing date, originally scheduled for 15 February, by a further two months bullt up in ine campaign to sa the hospital over the past year. gives the stewards at the EGA a vital, and probably final, , oppor tunity to organise the wide potential support for their struggle, both outside and inside the hospital.
CONFERENCE A big step forward in this direction could be taken at Saturday's conference. Delegates are expected from all over London, not only from the hospitals but from other public sector and industrial unions as well. The EGA stewards must seek firm commitment these wide-ranging forces for strike action at a moments nonce i and when any attempt at closure takes Olate Only this type of broad inter-union industrial action is capable of saving the EGA. For this reason the conference should also join the ranks of those forces calling for the day of action against the cuts, organised by London NUPE for 11 May, to be turned into a one day national Duone sector strike.
Necessary they are, however, pledges of industrial ac tion from other unions will mean nonIne unless the workers insid the hospital itself are effectively Cale us nas been far from the case. There has been a exists in name The hospital administration, the doctors and even many of doubtful support of the doctors, Has oceanare busnca to make any serious attempt at involving the lass Of WOrKCIS Mass meetings are infrequent, the hospital bulletin appears irre gularly and few steps have been taken to develop the type of orga nisation necessary if the workers are to take over the running of the noshital If the consultants, who have always made cicar their willingnes. to negotiate away the present LICENSED BETTING O AM Lost lie Foget EDIGBETHTCLYIO HALL
THREE COLLEGES in Manchesser have been occupied by their students in the past fortnight. The issues at stake have ranged from declining local authority financing of student unions to the discriminatory fees increase for overseas students to inflated meal prices.
At Manchester Poly, where the occupation continues, a new hall of residence nearing completion will not be used because the college claims it cannot afford to run the bullding At the London University Institute or toucaton a royal opening of a new building by the Queen somer mas been cancelled atter students announced plans to use OCCASION protest E140,000 cut in the College's budget.
The missing factor is a lead from the National Union of Students.
Students who have shown a wilalke Those Middlesex and Teeside Polys last term, and Manchester Poly term, have been left isolated with no nationally co-ordinated supDOLL But since the collapse of the SCIvices compancs. of socialist students have begun to change. The steps are underway to organise the left on a united basis, giving a lead to the students and presenting a challenge to the ruling Broad Left leadership.
Overseas student activists will be meeting at Middlesex Polytechnic on Saturday to discuss mounting a national campaign governments fee increases entry quota proposals. The setting or a eate tor natonaly co-orcina ted action for the abolition of all Ices, no cuts, and against all immı gration laws and quotas, win massive support trom students and force the NUS leaders into aCLIVILy On the same day in Sheffield EnIS militants from the Women's Left Caucus will be arguing for the NUS to commit itselt to activity on the Women's Campaien Rounding off this busy weekend Inc alludes will be a meeting at Middlesex Poly on Sunday militants - WIIO •IC CCI Left's compromise with the right of wing. It will discuss joint initiatives in campaigns and a united electoral challenge for the next executive CICCHOIS The most important task will be to hammer out a common strategy to oppose the government's cuts and closures, and to ensure jobs for all college leavers this summer IMG militants will be arguing for against support for all moves in the labour and movement strike action and for the complete close down of education on 11 May in support called London NUPE strike.
An agreement on a united left slate for the executive elections, on a principled basis that can unite the widest torces will be an imboran component in showing to the mass or students unar tere is an arel native strategy to that of the Broad the Broad native. mount national already The failure of the left to present a coherent alternative strategy and cacersno queue tae occupanons NUS. of last summer was a major factor in allowing the NUS Executive to get off the hook and sell out the struggle. Learning from that lesson this conference can start to build that sort of much-needed alterThe IMG will be fighting for the COuld SIs involvement of the National Organisation of IS Societies in building a strong united socialist wing in the Bu the recent NOISS decision to march separately from the main stream forces fighting the anti-abortion rights Benyon Bill, and ing their refusal to participate in the Women's Left Caucus in the NUS Women's Campaign are not en Last summer 30,000 trained eochers loinea me coe mere this year it could easily be 50,000 The numbers of colleges facing closures has grown from 13 to nearly 50. The step: taken this weekend could be decisive in unit attacks.
PAUL BROOK [IMG Student Organiser]
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S. Yorks NUS Ares NO RANDOM CHOPPING NO TEACHER RODUMDANCIES NO LARGE CLASSES Trunk on Your Kur