FORTY YEARS AGO Friday, July 23, 1982
Strike action hits hospital laundry
As the dispute between National Health Service workers and the government enters its fourth month, union officials in the Argyll and Bute Hospital at Lochgilphead have made it clear that they intend to continue their campaign of industrial action.
In response to the TUC health service committee call for strike action, most of the hospital laundry staff withdrew their labour from Monday to Wednesday of this week.
With only three workers reporting for duty, management were forced to help sort dirty linen.
Laundry staff who were on strike received financial support from the union strike fund with the donations coming from other hospital workers and from the local branch of NALGO, who paid the wages of three workers for the three-day period.
No labour was withdrawn in other sectors of the hospital, but all the industrial action taken in the last few months was more strictly adhered to.
This includes a ban on all emergency admissions, an overtime ban, and a ban on cleaning of all non-clinical areas.
Earlier this week Mr David Russell, secretary of the Lochgilphead branch of COHSE, slammed the latest government claim that no more money was available.
‘This government is leaving the way clear for private medicine by running down the NHS.
‘When people have to pay for their healthcare it is inevitable that it is those in the weakest position like the old and underpaid who will suffer most.’
And a union spokesman said on Wednesday that they wanted their case for a 12 per cent pay increase to go to ACAS – the independent arbitration body – as they felt their pay demand would be looked upon favourably. If the pay dispute continues it seems likely there will be further selective withdrawals of labour within the next few weeks with the hospital kitchen a likely target.