and public services with much confusion and uncertainty.
With members in local government, gas and electricity running up against the brick wall of the employers and the Labour Government in pay negotiations, all the platform could offer was the well tried and often failed formula of 'leave it to us and if we need your help we'll come back to the members'. While this line was defeated in the gas and local government group meetings, so too was the call. On the eve of the national struggle over their claim for £10 across the board plus 15 per cent, 1,800 delegates attended the national conference of the National and Local Government Officers Association in Blackpool last week. The delegates understood they faced the most severe attack in the union's history, but approached the need to struggle against cuts in both living standards from Hackney (London) tor an ning of local overtime bans leading immediate strike ballot. The mo- up to the group meeting can cut tion passed from Scotland was for through this uncertainty. a national recall group meeting in A major defeat for the platJuly following the employers' final form at the conference was the pasoffer, with preparations to be made sing of a motion from Islington now for a strike ballot immediately branch making a commitment to after that meeting. industrial action against social serCONFUSION vice cuts. however, is very close. The ability Confusion was not confined to to fight on the wages front over the platform. The NALGO Action the summer will determine its abilGroup was split down the middle ity to defend the social services between the Scottish and Hackney which its members organise. positions with no clear line on sol- TEST ving the problem of giving confidence to an uncertain member- It will be a test too of the ship never before engaged in a NALGO Action Group. To cry national struggle. A crazy deteatism was displayed by some members of the International Socialists that an immediate strike ballot after the loss of the Hackney mo- would reach the membership cold tion, whereas the need to campaign plays straight into the hands or the between now and the July meeting National Executive Committee's stuck out like a sore thumb. Only attempts to avoid a confrontation. a lead in action such as the begin- George Johnstone were attempting to work.
The real test for NALGO, MASSEY STRIKE OFF The six week-old strike of 4,500 production workers at Massey Fergusons plants in Coventry is over. On 13 June a mass meeting of more than 4000 workers nar. rowly voted to accept the company's latest pay offer, giving just 45p more than an Improved offer of E6 made by management tiree weeks ago Despite this retreat -triggered by the success of management in using a court repossession order to get the Banner Lane plant evacuated - positive lessons can be learnt from the strike.
Most impressive was the democratic running of the mass meetings. The strike started when a mass meeting rejected a shop stewards recommendation for a one-day strike and voted for all out action. Similarly it ended with a rejection of a stewards recommendation following an hour long debate in which every worker had access to A vote was only taken after a unanimous decision to move to a vote. Mass involvement through mass democracy completely undermined the attempts of the local press to split the strike through charges of intimidation and violence and 'militant minorities'. Mass involvement was also guaranteed through the occupation, which provided a base from which to despatch flying pickets to local hotels where staff 1f these are important gains for the whole workers movement, there are also bitte The trade union officials scabbed throughout, and the strike lead ers themselves made two important mistakes: no demands were raised linking their struggle with that of other workers and seeking support on that basis collection sheets were only distributed in the fifth week of the strikel, and the occupation was not used as a base from which to build united working class support in the area