Local Government Officers association (NALGO) has decided to reject the TUC's request that the union call off its London Weighting Allowance campaign.
At its meeting on Friday 19 April the NALGO NEC decided instead to cocalate the campaign, and further meetings this week will work out details for the extension of strike action.
One of the two branches currently on strike, Islington, organised a 600 strong picket from branches all over London, outside the NEC meeting This was followed by a march to Congress House to protest at Len Murray's attacks on the campaign. Speakers at the picket stressed the need to step up strike action.
There has been mounting pressure on NALGO to end its action and await the Pay Board report on the general London Allowance situation. which is due in June, Employment of the London Labour Party, Bob Mellish, have made it clear that NALGO will receive nothing until June, Camden and Tower Hamlets councils, both Labour controlled, have attacked NALGO for its decision to ban voluntary work on local elections In this situation it is essential to extend action immediately. Tower Hamlets branch has voted for a total strike, and the countil is threatening to send home, without pay, anyone unable to work due to the present selective strike action.
totai stoppage if this happens, but to the branch.
Islington branch militants have pointed out that istington should not be left to carry the whole campaign. The most effective support they NALGO Action conference -At the NALGO Action group confercace on the national claim in York last weekend, reports showed the lack of preparation hy the union nationally. There are acure dangers of a sectional suse-, wito lou Landon claint boing pressed. but a sell out taking place over. the national clim.
Aithough the Interantionnl Socialists, who dominate the group, cocstantly refertacy used let Block-vote lo nrevent the Red Weakly 25 April 1974 Page 2 could have would be for as many other branches as possible to be pulled out, and all-London action to be prepared.
ALL-LONDON ACTION union's leadership are running the campaign purely on 'special case arguments. As some statements of Creneral Secretary Geoffrey Drain The NEC has decided to sanction a show, they are quite prepared to accept the broad outlines of the have not so far given a general go-ahead 'social contruct'. The implications of this are that, whether or not the national 2095 claim will be settled within the pay laws.
A strategy capable of overcoming discussion of's resolution proposed by WE LUE ETHERE This resolution placed NAGO's Tent in cr contextof the need to smash the Lahour-Imposed pay laws. detailed ways in which stames aroubd tho national pay clait could be organised, and linked these to the deycloping struegles against cuts in social oxpenditure 18'% motion, which wax carried unred to the need to light the soca contract, annouse win one amenmont, gin a list of pruposal to be pur forward at Islington NALGO branch mobilised 600 strong demonstration for march on TUC last weak * The development of rank-and file organisation around branches like Isington, and the London Boroughs Joint Computing Committee which are involved in the struggle: This is the way to counter the manoeuvres of the bureaucracy and overcome the uneven development of the campaign.
to detonate a national pay strugale, by linking the two claims in the London Weighting claim is won, the present action.
* The orpanisation of solidurity at all lercis with other unions coming into struggle agninst Phnse - danger of isolation branches is motions la the NEC ind Local Government Cocimitter.
But if did not cope adoquarely with organising for the nutional claim, or rulating the London strueele to the sitional Stregle although the wond JeonE was a srep in this direction). Nor the it draw the practical conchusions wich are necessary in order to develop moronet to broak the social contract". these problems would have to include:
Tion. up* The use of the London struggle record: action; no real campaign. 3. The NUT day of action on 24 April gives an opportunity for militants to develop these links through joint actlion CP lead Shrewsbury campaign up blind alley *If 1 were Dea Warren the Charter Conference wouldo't even wake me This was the reaction of one Birmingharn militant to the announcement, in the Morning Star of 22 April, of the Building Workers Charter national delegute conference, in Liverpool this Saturday. For months the CP have been putting the boot in on the Shrewsbury campaign your MPs and now they breathlessly announce a conference which will devole only a miscruble 25 minutes of its agenda to Stewsbury. Let us trace their Liverpool Trades Council Confer. ence-a passing reference to support for the defence committees in the Jocalities. A lot of huff and pull abour the Pentonville Five, but no Second Liverpool Trades Council Conference: No mention of the to be low paid until they accepted the social contract and a Labour Commenting on the half-day London Allowance strike on 29 April and possible further action he said:
"If any one thinks that I will do anything more becuuse of pressure of that kind he does not know me.. I reserve the right to tell teachers when I think they ate being dann silly, and some of the sugpestions made by a minority on this issue have been damn silly."
While anouncing an end to the 11 plus, Prentice refused to back down on the proposals for cuis in educational expen ditate, and left little hopo of improne ments in the new comprehensives or for the opcalig of nursery schools.
Prentice's spooch i an indication of the tactics the Labour Government will use against the trade unions; quell the actions of the weaker and lear ongunised layers, and spüt the right from the left within Hur the NUT left itself with few weap tive, and aupported by the Communist Party, It abandoned the E500 Interim Claim in favour of a submistion to the Pay Board. The conference also rejected a Rank-and-File adaries motion (which was to be backed by strike action, in favour of un Executive-defined substantial incrcase".
Throughour the Conlerence there was an implicil separation of the London Allowance campaien from the goncral salary struggle. This will legve tiw London teachers to fight ulone, and sevce the rest of the Union trom Lan don's militancy and grassroots oreanisa ANN TWINING Birmingham UCATT resolution calling for national strike action to free the Shrewsbury Three. No support for the call made by Terry Harret of the TaG and Cath Adams of NUPE for u link up with the miners it defence of picketa. The lase chance for real action frittered uway.
London UCATT and T&G cou terence! A new strategy-lohby Kent Conference on Shrewsbury: wluck was called for last Saturday (20 April)-litde action by the CP to mobilise support, so the confer cice had to be called off, Now the Charter conference offers the saite-but less. No wonder the Shrewsbury campaign is dying in its boots-It has been led up a blind ailey by the CP. A fighring lead can come from the Charter conferencobut it will certainly not come from the platform.