KATY Gold's comments (4 January) on my article on the social workers' strike and her accusation of 'political inaccuracies' cannot be allowed to pass without a reply on some aspects 1. Since we knew right from 29 November that talks on a national deal were to continue, the NALGO leadership's juggling about whether the original deal was "not accepted' or "rejected' is of no real importance. If we can force them to 'not accept' a further national deal we will be doing very well.
2. I did not vote against the call for a strike on 29 November. I abstained in fact on the call — which was for a "national one-day strike'. It seemed to me that such a call, made by 120 people (not 250), failure, and would only show our weakness rather than our strength.
This turned out to be true, as only two branches in the whole country took strike action. Also the date for the 'strike' was introduced in the most appallingly undemocratic fashion — leaving no time at all for discussion about it.
3. The standing conference strike committees is very definitely "accountable to the rank and file'. Delegates report back weekly to strike committees/mass meetings, and in most cases are re-elected weekly or subject to instant recall.
Katy's allegation that it is not a 'rank and file' body is based on the strange idea held by some NALGO Action Group members that delegate bodies have no place in rank and file organisation. Such a view is surely closer to anarchism than revolutionHE DEADLN tor this column 1 micday the Saturday Detore DuDlicaTion NORTH WEST WARRINGTON Socialist Challenge group hallenge offices for IT GE details. 061-236 2352 GREATER MANCHESTER Socialist Challenge. OCTOO! students suppor me paper ano woule ke to ce volved in anti-fascist activity, please contacted Manchester Challenge Centre cro 14 riccaoily. mancnester wiin a view to forming a sailoro su MOSS Socialist Challenge supporters sell the paper at Moss Sid NORTH EAST NEWCASTLE Socialist Challenge local supporters are active! If you want Socialist Challenge 11 January 1979 page 14 NALGO activists think? — Eds.
words easier just to talk about it than to do it, and there are no magic ingredients to be called upon in this task - least of all the incantation of the name of PETE CRESSWELL [Liverpool] *What do other social workers and oppre was this er method that expressed by James Cannon in a letter, of which extracts were printed below John's article: "It appears to me the movement, in all its branches and affiliations and independent sectors, is in a process of fermentation and re-examination of the problems of party-building. That puts a serious discussion on the agenda. And that, in Kerry seems to be unaware that the was aim of our movement is the creation of a radically new form of civilisation that transcends the divisions between theory and practice, work. Gramsci was well aware of this when he argued for the formation of "organic working class intellectuals to defend socialist democracy and to maintain the politicisation of the class during periods when we cannot be nourished by the bread and butte politics and Lane cause I believe that if people think that the steering committee is un democratic let us have it out in the open - and a more democratic steering committee would help because of what happened at Brick There are problems with the ANL The major one, it seems to me, is that it is in danger of running out of steam, given that the General Election wasn't called. Now this problem is not going
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