PEANUTS! That's what Thatcher wants to give the nurses. While inflation is raging at 22 per cent, the Tories are offering nurses just 14 per cent - a wage cut of 8 percent.
This scrooge attitude shows just what Thatcher's priorities are. Since the Tories were elected just over a year ago, Thatcher's friends have received huge wage increases; the police, the army, the bosses-of public corporations, well-healed doctors - they're all in the money with the Tories.
But not so the nurses, teachers, and other public sector workers - they're on the rough end of Tory Britain.
Huge increases in taxes and prices have forced up the rate of inflation. But over the past year much of this has been grabbed back by pay increases.
Now the Tories are running scared. Their plans to make workers pay for the crisis are in trouble. So they intend to crack down on wages by making the public sector pay.
The first victims are the nurses and the Scottish teachers, who are already taking strike action. Next month it will be local government workers.
The nurses are on the brink of taking strike action. But many nurses are understandably reluctant to go that far. More than any other group of workers, the nurses need the solidarity of the rest of the labour movement.
In 1974 Yorkshire miners and other groups of workers went on strike to support the nurses. That's the kind of action that we need again. To support the nurses is not just to support a worthy cause, but to win the first battle on pay in the public sector many. - the first of 12.00
Socialist Challenge says:
Assemble Belvedere Road, South Bank March to Hyde Park for 3pm rally.
Called by the Labour Party.
I won't Thatcher * SIOP • CRUISE MISSILES COMING SHORTLY: just the badge to wear and sell in thi build-up Sine June demo. 20p plus 10p p&p. OF make money for vour loca campaign/organisation ordering 20 Lor at a bulk discount rate of 15p pe Daure Dost "tree. All orders must be pre-paid to Hackne Socialist Education Group c/o PO Box 50, London N: LAM.
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Kick Out the LorieS
No Cruise missiles! Britain out of NATO!
Thatcher's values -14% for them the cops