Members of NUPE have blacked three new wards at the Brook Hospital, Shooters' Hill, Woolwich, London.
The new Linton wards intended for geriatric patients have 30 beds per ward, The NUPE members are insisting that there should be tive ancillary workers allocated to each ward.
Worker at the hospital point out that other wards have been closed because there has not been sufticient staff to work them. Anciliary workers have been oper aling a work to rule because of staff shortages on some of these other wards.
A union bomber told me: "The shop stewards have done a sarvey of the now wards They know thar it is absolurely impossile to work them with lost than tive ancillary workers for each ward.
The workers' action has Forced the Although no meeting has yet taken place with the managoment the workers are determiced not to work the wards until agreement iS reached on manning.
The action of the NUPE memhers at the Brook Hospital is very important. Mrs Castle's attents to solve the cash crisis in the NHS involve incriasing the productivity of health workers — fewer people doing more work, This means jacking up the workload of a drastically underpaid workforce pay for ancillary workers is about t24 a week - and a deterioration of care fot patients.
The attacks on standards of health care can best be defeated by actions such as those taken at the Brook Hospital by the health worker. Health Workurs" Conferenos lor a Worker inquiry into the NHS.
the support of all trade utonists. I would put down resolutions in their branches calling for:
E. The setting up of a Workers Enquiry into the NHS 2. Pledging support for such an Inquiry — ie financial, and by encourag ing their mombers to submit cridenee co tho Inquiry.
Control to initiabs such an Inqum involving is wide a sectiot of the trade union piovernent as possible.
STOUTS CECEASE MIKE WHITE (NUPE) This is a demand which should receive 3. Calling on the Institute of Workers"
ment a service.