The discontent amongst Hospital workers with the treatment of their recent wage claim has led to discussion a out strike action. Of course it is a fact that most people think that the idea nurses and other hospital workers going on strike is unthinkable, It is to counter this widely held view that we produce this extract from "A History of the wae ospital and Institutional Workers Union. 1910 to 1931." This shows that no & hospital workers strike but also that they can be just as militant as any other section of the working class. The extract begins:
One of the worse cases of official tyranny in the history of the union led to a strike at Notts. county mental hospital, Radcliffe on Trent, in April, 1922. The visiting committee of this institntion were affiliated to the Mental Hospitals Association and had in general applied the recommendations of the Joint Conciliation Committee for the mental hospital service. In particular they had appligd the sixty hours per wook (inclusive of mealtimes) to the members of the indoor But in February the visiting committee of the hospital intimated that, commencing from March 5th, the rate of leave would in future be three days a fortnight instead of two days a week (thus increasing the hours to 66 per week) and that the war bonuses of male employees would be reduced by four shillings per week and female employees by 3/da per woek, The union branch at a meeting accepted the reduction of wages but rejected the proposed increase in hours, insisting that the hours recommended by the joint conciliation committee be strictly adhered to. The members resolved not to work the new duty hours, and on Iiarch 5th, the night staff, male and female, refused to go on duty until a non-union nurse, who had been placed on duty contrary to the arrangements of the staff, was withdrawn. The day staff therefore remained on duty all through the night. . 4 tomporary truce was arranged fdlowing the visit of l'r, Gibson and l'r. Shaw, the general and assistant secretaries of the union, who after inter viewing the visiting committee, agreed that the new schome of hours should be worked by the staff until the next meeting of the visiting committee, which was to bo specially convened within 14 days.
This body met on March 24th and granted an interview to Mr. Gibson, Mir. Shaw, Mr. Booth (union solicitor) and a deputation of six members of the staff, but again a decision was deferred. Three days later every member of the male and female staffs was given a months notice terminating his or her employ-— ment at the hospital and intimating that if it was desired to become members of the new staff a special form of application must be signed and handed in to the liatron or Head Male nurse by 4 peme on April 5th. At the same time all the married men residing in cottages on the asylum estate were served with a months notice to torminate their tenancy, and those who had been promised the tenancy of cottages being built on tho ostate were sziven notice cancelling a letter dated February 2nd with respect to the tenancy of the new cottages. Both notices were Signed by Mr. J. Gell clerk to committoe of visitors.