Hush-hush 'selective' strikes spread

tended their selective strikes to more areas in London and the Midlands. Yorkshire and the North-East, too were hit bv stoppages.

But union spokesmen were giving away few details of their plans.

A National Union of Public Employees representative said:

'This is a rolling guérrilla strike tactic of surprise. We never give details of the strike as it spreads. Councils can find that out for themselves when their men stop work.' Many of the councils, particularly in London, have tried to use blackleg labour to man essential services such as school meals.

London shop stewards have threatened to call out the remaining 14 of London's 32 boroughs if these tactics continue. swop Eventually the unions aim • to have 80,000 of their 770,000 members on strike.

There is to be a 'major escalation' on Monday, with 7,000 in Yorkshire towns out.

At present about 20,000 workers are on strike.

Stay out

Ambulancemen in many parts of Britain joined the action yesterday with overtime bans, token stoppages and work-to-rules.

Leicester dustmen's shop steward Tony Charlesworth told Workers Press that his men intended to stay out regardless of whether their strike is made official.

The unions want an all-round basic wage rise of 55s, and have rejected the employers' 36s final offer.

Employers' resistance has been stiffened by top-level Tory government intervention: employment minister Robert Carr has refused to allow his department to help reach a compromise settlement.

This is clearly an attempt to break the wage fight of a major section of low-paid workers before the government brings in its anti-union Retreat In this situation, the action of Trades Union Congress secretary Victor Feather, who has offered his own conciliation services, is a retreat from a fight against the Tories.

After meeting council men's union chiefs today Feather will decide whether to seek a meeting with the employers.

Instead of conciliation from Feather, the local authority workers need the support of the rest of the trade union movement.

By itself, the campaign of partial selective stoppages cannot win the claim. The full strength of the council workers must be mobilized if it is to be won.

The problem here is that the union leaders are concerned only with putting pressure on the councils, and have conspicuously failed to take up the gauntlet Carr has thrown down.

Half-hearted

And their strike campaign is a half-hearted one which will wear down their members' fighting spirit if it is not changed.

The Lambeth dustmen's erroneous decision not to support the strike must be a warning to all council workers of the dangers in front under the present leadership.

After the experience of the docks strike and the GKNSankey dispute there can be no further doubt either about the Tories' intentions or about the union leaders' failure to challenge them.