The moment of truth came for NatIonal Health Service ancillary workers last Friday. At the final official meeting of the Ancillary Staff Council and the official trade union megotiators, the union burcaucrats calmiy accepted the management's offer.
This amounts to nothing more than a paltry E3 a week on the basic wage and the retention of the 40 bout-week.
One of the full-time officials in the le poulatne team told workers picseung the Department of Health and Social Security that Barbara Castle had given the wood 'not a penny more than the cical calm of 130 n weer basic. NO QUESTION She had made clear that there was no qoestion of granting the claim on thresholds, reducing hours or abolishing grades A and B.
The story put out that this latest pay nonsense. Sume 70 per cent of the anoBaty worlorce REc momen woo wock no more than 40 bours and often less, They will get a L3 rise on top of the OMIN TO - HIGHT AR05 old non consolidated basic of 126.68 -equivalent to a ric of about 9 to 10 per cont. Those worker-mainly menwho put in 70 ar 80 hours a week to get a living wage will got nore because overtime will be paid on their total con solidated rate of E30.
The social contract which was supp osed to help the low pald has ensured that ancillary workers remain at the -DOIT DES CAR SUENCE CANNIN forward to is a declining real wuge packet, hander work and even longer hours prices and soaring living costs. FURTHER DECLINE The effects wall again be son in a further decline in the NEIS. Rottea pay will Sead to severe stall shortages The stall shortages and the need to work longor and longer bours to make ends mect will mean a further worscaine in pabient cure.
The union hameauce tt of NOPE COHSE, T&GWU and the G&MWU who have workod so hard to save the social contract and the Labour GoverTs de le stre amotour Militant rank and the workers are ANY HORE QUESTOUS ANN QUESTOUS] NO HORE QUESTIONS urging that the offer be rejected. They are calling for a series of delegate conf conces which they say should mandate their representatives to demand £35 for 35 hours: a 60p threshold for every one per cent rise in the cost of tiving; oqual pay with the abolition of grades A and Band free 24-hour nurseries These demands must be supported by atl workers both inside and outside the NES. Unles workers rally to the support of the worker inside the localch service it will simply continue to disin degrate and fall apart. air."
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tonville Road, London. N.I. militant maggie T.U. MEETHET
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