Question: So you're out on strike as well. What a mess the country's in. Well, what are you lot striking about? Answer: The usual - pay. since 1974 the public sector workers have suffered cuts in real wages of up to 30 per re fighting to stop all that but compared to directors and judges asking for very much: just f60 a week and 35 hours.
But yes, the country is in a mess — especially for working people. should know, we work in jobs which Have DOTIC the brunt government's cut-backs.
Last ycar alone billion worth of cuts In expenditure. So it's not surprising that of the one and a half million on the dole nurses and 250,040 building workers. nurses all So ourse we dont chink much or Contract government's pleas for 'restraint'. That's all very well, but the country can't afford to pay what you're asking. That's not true. Do you know that because of the cash limit system central and local government have spent E3.25 billion less than even planned under the cuts. That's why it's a lie when the government says that Socialist Challenge 18 January 1979 page 8 You see, even without restoring the cuts.
like company Not because of us.
even of the TUC of the there were 135 of free collective bargaining.
public fault.
We've been cuts in public living standards.
suffer, even die.
amount settlements in the public sector would mean a deficit of t2 billion on public spending. They can afford to pay us, You keep quoting figures at me. All I normal life will be impossible because you're on strike. and It's the - Labour government which is responsible. It has ignored every decision of the rank and tile of the trade union movement -- protesting against bad pay and cuts in public spending.
They have even gone against Labour Party policy which, as decided at last year's conference, came out in favour They working people have to pay for a crisis which is not our reasonable and compromising for too long as it is, and what have we got for it? Cuts in wages, services. They have torcca us to me back, to aciena ou But what will happen if you stay out on strike? What about the sick, old people, disabled? They're the ones that will Nobody has ever died as a result of strikes by hospital and social service workers. But every year thousands of old age pensioners die because starvation and hypothermia; every year thousands remain homeless thousands TOI in overcrowded sychiatric hospitals It is not us who have caused this -it's Labour cuts, just as it's Labour's cuts which have closed 130 hospitals, undoubtedly because of that people have died.
Yes alright, but your striking isn't going to help things, is it?
Actually it is. You see once public sector workers start being paid a decent wage, then we can begin to rebuild our social services, our hospitals, schools.
A decent wage would bring back the thousands of workers we have lost to private industry and private health Of course, by itself a wage wouldn't do the trick, but combined with a determination to restore billions of pounds worth of cuts, ther we would be able to do our jobs a lo better than we have been able to. And that job is providing essential services and helping the elderly, handicapped and sick.
We want decent health, social and education services. It's the Labour government which is attacking them.
Excuse me, but the simple fact is that if and people will dic We're quite willing to discuss th provision of emergency cover. We want to work out an emergency plan with other trade unionists as to what is and is not essential.
striking social workers are doing: give rise those concerned the name and address of local councillors so that they can go the and visit those administering the cuts and ask them to provide the services lost through our strike.
decide. administrator to tell us that supplies of insulin for diabetics are vital or that the new carpet for the main committee room is not.
level of emergency CAMPAIGN FOR ACTION IN NUPE Public Meeting "Fighting for the full claim' Speakers: Bill Geddes and Ray Varnes London divisional council delegates At North London Poly, Holloway Road, London N7 Wednesday, 24 January, 7.30pm.
your strike closes down hospitals | decide how we will conduct o struggle.
Or we could do what some of the Caliball responsible for But whatever we do it is up to us to We don't need a hospital of the TUC, We will decide what is the proper over, just as we will walk it Well, you seem to have it all work out, but even if you win, inflati might make a settlement not worth t paper it's written on That's a possibility, which is why lot of us think that once our claim won it will be necessary to launch to have our wages I utomatically as prices go u We think the same could be app to public spending — as prices rise, should public spending, so shou Do you really think you will win? If we have the support of every tra unionist, if we have the active backi adheres to its conference decision ar backs us, then we'll walk it — we