occupation Joint President of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education.
Come down here and ask anyone how much of a fight he was prepared to lead! He actively went back on his own conference decision to support our action (rather like NUS Executive?). We preferred to forge unity with the cleaners, porters, and mem bers of staff who were prepared to fight with us, not against us.
Our Union took a clear position in favour of a fight with the trade union movement against the cuts, hence we opposed a national demo on 15 June, supporting instead the lobby of the TUC and demo on 16 June, to be with those trade unionists in favour of such a fight. Our delegates to the Manchester conference were mandated on this, and after the successful vote we all believed that this was what the Executive would organise.
Over 70 people from Redland came to the lobby and demo on 16 June, as well as 40 from other Bristol occupations, 90 from Bath College of Higher Education, and 20 from Bath University School of Education. They were all surprised and disgusted to see that the NUS Executive had done nothing to implement the Manchester resolution (even the NUS main mailing telling us of the conference decision did not arrive until after the demo) and indeed had actively conspired to sabotage that decision.
Yes, maybe some NUS Area Executives supported the London Student Organisation demo on 15 June, but in that case one can only say that they also have a disrespect for conference decisions. Both Bristol and Bath Area NUS supported the actions on 16 June.
It is simply not true to say that teachers were put off by our march past Hamilton House (for a start, we ing the fight for the creation of such bodies in every area, so that the campaign can draw in all those forces prepared to fight Healey's cuts.
If he does not, then we can only say ne- - and other like him on the NUS Executive — are accomplices of the right-wing Labour. Government and TUC leadership in implementing the cuts, along with the NUT Executive from which he wants to differentiate himself.
Signed: GERRY GORING (dele gate to Manchester conference and Secretary of Avon Committee against Social Service Cuts)
HUGH L'ESTRANGE (delegate to Manchester)
JACKIE BLUNDELL (delegate to Manchester and NUS Secretary, Redland College)
DIRK LADD HARRY BAINS JACK COBBE HILARY TARR HOWARD DAVIES EIRA WATKINS (Redland College Union councillors)
CAROL SMITH MARTIN PETERS (Redland College Executive)
EMILY THWAITE JOHN EAST ED WALLER Apart from the above members of Redland College Union, the letter has also been endorsed by MARK WILER (Secretary, NUS Bristol Area dent, Bath College of Higher Education)
PETE CLIFFORD (Bath University delegate to Manchester conference)
IAN SUTHERLAND (President, Bath Univeristy) from its capital expenditure budget. I lou million of this was in housing vacant as a result of the recent Shore been cut.
of 19,000 unemployed teachers, the iner concon caucation Aumorty went up by 50p last vear and 60c 112 per cent in 15 months. And of the 4½ per cent limit chopping living standards.
are now 25o a time ers have stopped taking them.
Labour Against the Cuts? A. In the first place it has been educa tional. We had to deal with - it seems ridiculous now - the fact that there getting right-wing councillors removed and replaced by people oppsed to the being selected at the moment: in all a couple of sitting members have also be done with the borough councillors.
GILLY THOMAS (Presirelevance of this demand?
first place you can't convince anybody ment is financed. A. Last year the GLC cut £150 million meaning the end of the municipalisation programme. Seventeen hundred jobs were left vacant and another 300 will be left circular. Out of 35,000 jobs, 2,000 have As is own contrioution to a tota will be leaving 440 posts vacant. Rents this year - an increase of over a pound in tweive monens. rares nave gone up by course you've had the E6 limit and now One dramatic effect on social services has been in Southwark: meals on wheels - and 1,700 pensionO. What do you see as the role of are cuts. reople like root were denying Now at selection meetinos we are cuts. GLC councillors for next year are eight places where seats are vacant, anti cuts candidates have been selected; and been replaced. Next year the same should Q. The conference called by Labour Against the Housing Cuts passed a resolution calling for the opening of the books. What do you see as the A. Until you get the information in the Brings towards that. about the need to fight the cuts. Opening the books can show how local governThe GLC itself is crippled with debt councillors and even the Parliamentary Labour Party is being changed. Q. But isn't that an argument just to sit around? What do workers do now to achieve these demands? A. We have to get Labour Party conference decisions in me win mose or the anti-cuts campaigns, capture the portica soul of the party. Inen we nave to cap ture the political leadership of the party - and we're seeing the first stirQ. Will Labour Against the Cuts be supporting the picket of the Labour Party conference called by the National Coordinating Committee Against Cuts in the NHS?
A. Well, LAC was organising a lobby in any case. wo would ovIousiy DE counter-productive, so we will act in Q. Haringey has given a lead in refusing to implement a new round of cuts. How do you see this being taken up so as to prevent isolation and another Clay Cross?
A. Well, it's not just Haringey. Wandsworth has also been going ahead and spending as usual. How to prevent another Clay Cross? We will try to get other Labour Counciis to move into opposition — 1ots are already not making the cuts the Government require (for example, Lambeth cut onlv 50 per cent of what was ask ed for and the rest was a book-keeping exercise), so at the end of the day the Government is going to come back for more cuts and meet more resistance.
Moving against Tameside Tory Council is one thing - taking on local Labour councils would provoke massive resistance Q. What dangers do you see if a fight back against the cuts and unemployment is not made and the Government contines to carry out rightwing policies A. Well, Labour inters won't turn to the Tories. Look at the results of the Deptford Ward by-election in Lewisham.* If the two fascist parties had stood a single candidate they would have won the seat In places where there is a solid working class base it is turning towards what appears to be superficially socialist policies, 'left' policies. This is one of the biggest advances the fascists have made - and they're making it because of the right-wing policies being oursuee Dv une Government •DEPTFORD BY-ELECTION RESULT 1976 1974 968(43.5% 1632(81.9%)
National Party DOU 140.U70 National rron 08010.0X Conservative 2b0 12.0% (9.3%)