tha Rure. Mon Mi orcest F pore: Sand Misty, lunes. fue 20 Cromer West Runton Pav: Gang of Four. Misty. Pain Killers London GAA LONDON Gay Alliance is organising a public Activists against SUS case is based on statements by Frank and Shaukat which the defence committee claims were The GAA meeting starts at at Caxton Hall, West- last month. Jamie hospital and OI black people were shouted by some 70 people who picketed Notting S2BO0 West SUDOUT London on Wednesday of last The picket was called by the SLUUCIL UO aD0H BOH00I College after a student had been arrested on a sus charge.
It is hoped that this will be UHOn Te the start of a major campaign the South an appeal. 'YES I'm homosexual too.' That was the proud message that got Jamie Dunbar, general porter at the Middlesex Hospital in London, the sack told by the management that wearing the badge meant that he had 'a provocative attitude to his homosexuality.
Jamie is firmly resisting his dismissal and this clear stand for gay rights has gained the National Council for Civil Liberties and the gay community as a whole.
The first move in his defence campaign was a large picket of the hospital by gay activists. Jamie will be represented by his Contederation Health Service Employees, at Strike members the National Union Bank Employees who work for the Bank of India in various centres in Britain are on strike for union recognition and against victimisation.
One of their negotiators, Mr Desai, has now been sacked by the Leicester branch manager, but NUBE has so far failed to come up with strike pay or proposals to extend the action.
NUBE members in the National Westminster Bank, for instance, could be asked to boycott all transactions with the Bank of India during the Bank unions in India and Switzerland are among those who have sent messages of support. These well donations, should be sent to Committee, c/o Melbourne Street, Leicester:
Socialist Challenop & Mannh 10%
Shortly after NUPE's claim for £60 and 35 hours took off last summer, the leadership panicked over the possibility of members taking action on their own. Local disputes, often arising from frustration over the national claim, received heavy-handed treatment from the union bureaucracy.
It was over the handling of one such dispute that CHRIS ADAMSON resigned as an area officer for NUPE in the West Midlands, a post he had held for four years. He describes the developments in the HE PROBLEM of being a socialist and full-time trade union official is somethat is constantly with My view when I started NUPE as organiser in the West Midlands that at sometime there uld be a crunch situation could end with my caving the job in one way or There is only so far that the will tolerate you and only so far that you can olerate the principles of the caucracy.
The dilemma presents itself two ways. First, it may be you and the bureaucracy ave different ideas about how far a strike or a dispute should During the nearly five years was with NUPE, that was solved one way or another.
stil last November I'd never iled to get support from the caucracy for members in dispute; even if that support hadn't been willingly. given, and even if they made it pretty Sear they didn't want to give it. area from universities and colleges.
In 1975 a report was accepted by NUPE's national conference which democratised the union, producing district and Commuces of stewards, and divisional councils. The membership was given the possibility of organising at grass roots level. It was clear that one of the things this would do was raise massive political debate members, when there been anywhere They'd been in one branch, relatively isolated from other branches, and probably controlled by a strong pushing £60 and 35 hours, with a substantial low pay campaign to back it up. The campaign got underway last summer and it occame cicar unatt was picking shop up an enormous head of steam.
Then we received instructons to make it clear to the membership that the low pay campaign was an among th campaign; that there was no hadn' chance of achieving two-thirds to do this of the national average wagebranch union over that period, and the problems facing socialists as full-time officials.
local authorities, area placco on-going November WE WANT TO THEY weNT Ever since 1974, when the ambulance service was merged into the health service from ambulance staff in the West Midlands had been trying to iron out pay Monday, anomalies which had continued office health a enority. We'd health authority. on the movement of ambulances and escalated in order to get this action was thing settled once and for all.
authority responded on view, THIS IS IS A FULL THE NATI PUBLIC E 1 Signature C The union had supported the anomalies' claim back from '74 and it had never crossed my mind that we wouldn't get support. But by 1.55pm on the at head Alan Fisher downwards was saying there was no way the dispute would be made official - ever.
I said there was no way 1 would accept that position. I would put the opposite point of that resignation to the divisional and I handed officer. Then we both went to the mass meeting. NU•PE OF responsible to the executive council, which was saying one thing and I was saying precisely the opposite.
Because the organisation of the union, particularly locally, gets stronger and stronger, the influence of the membership in a local dispute is increasingly effective.
There is no way now you can go to d group of NUPE members and say: "You're making a mistake here. Get back to work." They'll tell you to piss off, whereas four or five years ago they'd have said: *Ooer, the full-time officer.. Better get back to work because we've got no support from the union.
Where there is a significant lack, which I suspect the present dispute will start to put right, is that at the moment there is no national or ever -TO! defence against the right-wing actions the leadership and bureaucracy frequently take.
On the things that matter, there's no national leadership pull the
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