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Wednesday, March 9th was action day against the cuts. Some 10,000 workers and students marched through the side streets of Glasgow's city centre. Thousands more were involved in strike action throughout Scotland; lurther demonstrations took place in every major city.
The largest contingents were those of the public sector unions which had initiated the day of action: NUPE, NALGO and ASTMS. There were also representatives of the main industrial unions and large student mobilisations from colleges facing cutbacks or closure.
The very existence of such a large demonstration was a testimony to the militancy of public sector workers. Despite a Court of Session ruling against NALGO members striking some 3,000 turned out on the Glasgow march alone. Their exasperation with their leadership's back down before the Court of Session was expressed at the STUC rally following the demonstration when they silenced their General Secretary, Geoffrey Drain, in mid-speech.
The rally, itsell, followed in the sad tradition of previous such STUC jamborces with vast quantities of hot air from union burcaucrats and no perspectives for further activity. It did not relate to the militant mood of the marchers: a further concerted expression ~ frustration 500 voices replying "We do!" - greeted Ron Curran's remark that he did not know who had brought the injunction. In fact it had been seven top local government neficials led by prominent Tory party member and one-time prospective MP. Kenneth Ross.
NUPE janitors in Hamilton provided 1100 NALGO members with the answer to Lord Cameron and his anti-union court by locking the doors to the sub-regional headquarters.
Despite the failure of NUPE's leaders to cull for strike action by their members in the health service, there were partial strikes in many hospitals. NUPE nurses in uniform led the contingent. Many of them were student nurses who make up the bulk of ward staff, about to quality with no hope of a job. In all 3,500 NUPE members took part.
The turn out from the industrial unions was not so impressive. The official STUC backing for which the NUPE and NALGO leaders waited so long - did not deliver the goods. The net result was less support from other unions than if they had gone it alone and given their members time to build support from other trade unionists in their workplaces. And the very GWU full-timers who argued their right to lead the demonstration, had spent the previous fortnight instructing their members to stay away and support the cuts!
The strike and demonstrations showed that, given the slightest opportunity, and despite the blunders intentional or otherwise - of their leaders, public sector workers will respond to the most half-hearted and confusing call to action. Many have already fought isolated battles with little organised support from other workers - the Highland Cleaners and Ayrshire Hospital Workers. for example.
Where to now, ask those facing redundancies and left with the responsability of icading the lubour movement against cuts in services? For those that were not drawn to the meetings organised by the left to wash away the stagnating influence of the STUC rally, perhaps Glasgow's Southern Hospital gives a lead. A mass meeting there set up a joint shop stewards
committee to mobilise for the strike which will hopefully be able to organise an ongoing fight against the government's attacks on living standards.
Similar, isolated attempts to unite omanised workers on a locality basis have happened elsewhere. The spreading and linking up of such bodies can lay a real basis for a movement of resistance to the cuts and redundancies. But just organising more days of action will only destroy the remaining impetus of November 17th, Deceniber 7th and March 9th: no-one will give up another day's pay unless they see some prospect of success.
Activists must get public sector workers addressing engineers; delegations from bus garages and hospitals down to local factories, and buroo officers and direct works employees into local industrial estates. The links must be drawn between the cuts and the fight to smash Phase Two and Three of the Social Contract, Support must be built for tnose already taking action at Plessey, Leyland and elsewhere.
Socialist demands like these of Stirling Trades Council's resolution to last ycar's STUC must resound up and down the movement. And a campaign must be organised to force Labour Party members in parliament, local councils and health boards answerable to the democratic wishes of those who sponsored and elected them. They must be forced not only to vote against the cuts but also organise against them.
NORMAN LOCKHART (NUPE shop steward, in a personal capucity).