BIRMINGHAM General Hospital faces complete shutdown from next Monday, ancillary workers NUPE go on indefinite strike and picketing action will aim to close the hospital doors.
At a meeting Wednesday of last week the Birmingham Central branch of NUPE voted by a majority of five to one to step up action in support of their claim.
This decision was followed by a motion giving 12 days' notice to the regional health authority Birmingham General Hospital would completely closed, by definite strike action, from 19 February. TENANT WANT all'.
Socialist Challenge 15 March 1979 page 6 There were no votes against this motion.
The health authority responded by saying that the hospital will be kept open at all COSES. brought in to cover the NUPE ancillary workers' jobs.
Not surprisingly, the threat to close the brought an outraged reaction from the local press.
The Birmingham Evening Mail headlined its 'Contemptible threat to the General' and went on to explain strikers neither sympathy nor a pay rise. be The brunt of the attack has in- been borne by Dick Hackett, the NUPE branch secretary, dubbed 'Red Dick' FORTY people occupied a Greater London Council 'dream home' at the Ideal Home Exhibition last week to demand 'ideal homes for The protest was organised by Housing Action against the hypocrisy of those who 'build ideal homes only to take them down again a few weeks later, while thousands of people are without press. He is a supporter of Militant and active in the has Campaign for NUPE.
Dick's response to the health authority's threat to keep the hospital open has been to call on the local labour movement to support the picket of the hospital has hospital.
This is what he called for on local television last Birmingham trades council has been support the picket.
deserved hospital, who have nationally accepted offer, have agreed not to do NUPE jobs, but they will not be out on strike themselves.
The chances by the HESSIVE confrontation sub-standard accommodation'.
Action aumories WIll aSK through the picket line.
call it off now. wee Barry approached to NUPE isional officer members in the the government's membership'.
19 February. will homes of any kind, and millions are condemned to live in Housing Action is a new group which aims to bring together the different strands in the housing movement. Further details from Housing Action, 52 Acre ane, London SW4. develop outside the hospital on Monday. No doubt the hospital has the police to ensure that the scabs get It is unlikely that the local LaW union bureaucracy will intervene to call off the action. The feeling among the membership is so strongly behind the strike has that it would be very difficult to The Shuttleworth, the West Midlands divand national said that Dick Hackett was a sensible chap who reflects the views of his The picket of the General Hospital will begin at 6am on repeal.
think in order.
to the wasn't Len Murray's instruction that
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