Registered with the Post Office as a newspaper, Ablished by Relocres for Red Weckly, 182 Pratomwille Road, London N.J. 101-837 6954 AS THE DUST settles after the London weighting struggle-the first large-scale industrial action by the membership of NALGO-all those who have consciously or unconsciously aided the sell-out of the claim are trying to find someone else to blame.
bers of the district council, who con sistently voted against any meaningful escalation when the fight was on, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a Executive Council for their handling of the campaign.
long run only be harmful to the differential between inner and 'outer' London from £39 to E120, and it penalises the under- 18s by giving them only 50 per cent of the full increase of f261 and E381.
• Joemo from the employers" secreturiat which left unresolved "deraila"
extra payment for backigg of work, and so on.
The final irony came when memmotion which criticised the Nationn The fine sertlement will in che London membership. It increased the This settlement was forced upon the membership with unprecedented haste. It was bused on the strength of such as the effects on superannuation, Printed by Sociali Worker Primers and Publishers Ltd. (TU). Corbridge Works, Corride Cresnent London E2 905 What was sadly lacking during the struggle was it teal strategy for action. The bureaueracy became aware of what was af stake when Istington Branch (the only branch to take tota strike action) became an organising focus for the struggle. An NEC member was prompted to write to the General Secretary. Who runs this union, us or the membership?
Although many militants were able to push forwund the struggle in a humber of branches, this was never turned into a unified fight. The for mation of an all-London body from the various campaign, strike and action committees in the branches and workplaces to take control of the campaign our of official hands was not seen as un urgent task by those involved in the local action. The NALGO Action Group-dominsted by the International Socialists could have helped to build such an ail-London organisation, but unfortunately failed to understand what role such a body could play.
The failure to adopt this stracegy: coupled with the failure to link the London Weighting campaign to the national claim, has left the London membership isolated and reluctant to take any further action.
But already branches outside London an taking action for the national claim, In the Newcastle branch overtime is being banned. In the Liferpool branch a mass meeting adopted a motion moved by an IMG member setting up an Action Committee hased on support for industrin action to win the 20% claim and any offer being subject to ratification by the membership. In Midiothian a further advance has been made by the unitication of the separate services Lo an area-based committee, With the national leadership already setting the scene for a sellout, by pleading the necessity foga quick settlement in order to get any thing at all, it is essential that a real strategy for action be adopted nationally. Action Committees cun draw in the maximum number of people who wish to light for the fall 20%. They can also provide an effective link between services and the back bone of an area and national organising body. This would give NALGO members an effective weapon to light for the full 20%