THE Young Socialists lobbied the TUC Congress yesterday in Brighton to demand that it must call a general strike in support of the Junior Doctors.
Andy Travers, Joint Unison Branch Secretary at Medway told News Line: ‘This TUC conference must vote for action to support the Junior Doctors. I work as a Porter at Gillingham Hospital in Kent. We should call a national demonstration to support the Junior Doctors and be prepared to defy the anti-union laws and take action along side them. This government wouldn’t have the guts to take us all on. They are a weak government.”
North East delegate John Hall, NASUWT teachers union said: ‘This TUC must support the Junior Doctors, the working people support them and so must the TUC.’ He added: ‘Grammar schools are taking education back 30 or 40 years. It is ridiculous and unacceptable’.
Christine Payne General Secretary of Equity trade union for actors and entertainers said: ‘It is important to support the Junior Doctors. It’s our health service, why would we not trust them, they are fighting for all of us!’
Bob Groome, Norfolk ATL teachers union secretary said: ‘On Friday I am going to be having an operation. I want the doctor to be fully awake when he or she operates. I fully support the junior doctors. Totally!! It must be on the agenda to support them.
He added: ‘It is shameful that the Tories are bringing back grammar schools. It’s part of their privatisation agenda. Who has got the right to make a profit out of our children’s education.’
Michael Rolfe, National Chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said: ‘This government is trying to twist things against the Junior Doctors. Our union brought a motion to conference three or four years ago, to consider the practicalities of a General Strike to defend all public services. That was passed, but it has been ignored since then.
‘The TUC by its unwillingness to call a general strike, has allowed the government to proceed uninterrupted with their political agenda. This must end. The TUC must step in for workers rights. There has to be a motion here to support the Junior Doctors.
‘The TUC is the body that has to do it.’
Natalie Linder, Western Sussex Royal College of Midwives said of the Junior Doctors: ‘They are my friends and my colleagues. They are being victimised by Hunt and the Tories. Junior Doctors who work in Obstetrics – because of their rotas – already provide a 7-Day service.
‘They and the A&E staff lose out most with this disgusting contract that Hunt intends to impose next month. I have heard that there may be an emergency motion to support the doctors at this Congress. It must be heard and carried unanimously.’
Dave Smith Sheffield Unite Chair said: ‘We fully support the junior doctors. It must be debated here this week.’
Tracy Coxhill, Hants Unite said: ‘It is perfectly reasonable to demand that this TUC debates and votes for action to support the Junior Doctors’.
Julia Neal, ATL teachers union said: ‘It would be a good idea for this Congress to call action to support the Junior Doctors’. She added: ‘This is the wrong time to bring back grammar schools. We have gone way beyond that.’