Savimbi which are of the MPLA have however, Last year, which backs the course, undancies, massive subsidies.
Chrysler's Times), was forthcoming.
of little or no concern.
Redundancies Agostinho Neto firing line. ns is particulariv Block, plant.
who has described Vorsterls His aim is to get again. both smaller company, conditions.
last year, serve as a preResponsibility mineral-rich countSuch a policy, its starting point, after meeting Chrysler's chief executive, Wilson hinted that hiccardo was pointing a gun at my head!. The 'gunt referred to was, of nryster's inreat to snut up shop in Britain, causing mass redunless the government was prepared to ransom it through threat has born fruit. l nas recentiv been announced inal figures in the region of £162m, more inan ine company's worla-wide losses last year, have been agreed.
With sales dwindling to a mere 6.8% of the British car market, which is itself expected to shrink in the coming period from 1.2 to just over 1m car sales (according to the Financial Chrysler was obviously prepared to cut and run unless ald The fact that over 25, 000 jobs were at stake, not to mention the thousands more in componant firms, was obviously It was also of little concern to ine Labour government. Certainly, the main meat of those Isecret meetings with Ricardo has not been how to protect inose jops al present in ine It could have done that by giving Chrysler its marching orders and taking over the company stock and barrel as demanded by the 6, 000 workers of the Linwood On the contrary, the main debate has been how, granting subsidies, it can put over to the Chrysler workforce ine arde-scae recuncancies. „soeedup and rationalisation that will have to occur to make ine tirm viabie' Any difference that has occured between Varley and Riccard has essentially been a difference over what is the best path to take ir Istreamlining' the company at the expence of thousands of Jobs which will not lead to mass occupations. No doubt the government hopes that, by appearing as the Isaviourt of a it will be able to appeal to the workforce to play their part in accepting limited redundancies and cut-backs in working The Chrysler workers are in tor essentially ine same treatment as British Leyland where, massive subsidies of over £1000m were dependent upon redundancies of over 20, 000 men.
which accents the 'viability! of private enterprise as the government. It is also the trademark of union leaders such as Jack vones wno nave made no allemol lo force Wilson to nationalise Chrysler.
Chris Davies (Repor:
seen their main role as pressurising Ine covernment to crant alarge enough subsidy to keep the Chrysler flag flying in Britain.
Such a policy will prove disastrous in the fight for jobs that will grow i the coming period. Suggesting that abour nas a vested interest in oreserving the Iviability! of private enterprise suggests, that it has a partial responsibility fo"Is survival.
To begin to admit 'responsibility! icthe problems of Chrysler - or any private industry - leads inevitably to accepting the need for cut-backs in wages, working conditions and even manning levels to make the fir.viable. It leads to accepting redundancies and a 'fragmentation' of the workforce as unity crumbles and workers compete with each other to retain their positions.
Chrysler workers, by refusing to fall for the government's proposals which throw 9000 men on the dole could help now to spearhead a mass campaion tor une rignt to work The case should be taken up in the broac labour movement - popularising the demands of worksharing, opening tre books and nationalisation under workers' control - as part of a real struggle against the government which is, at present, , more responsable to Ibig business' than to its social base.
Alternative Any responsibility the Chrysler workers should feel should not be towards a company which is prepared to throw 9, 000 on the dole queues but to fellow workers in protecting jobs. stewards trom the Linwood plant, Scotland, seem only too aware of this and have called for mass occupations if redundancies are carried through. This call should be supported throughout the Chrysler plants. It should be made clear that no redundancies are acceptable and that the amount of work should be shared out among the existing work force. If management arque that it is financially impossible to keep oresent manning levers. workers' representatives should have access to the company's books to gain ar accurate picture of its accounts (plans tor investment, sales etc). It is possible, of course, that as happened at the Cowley plant o British Leyland, the company will be prepared to 'open the books! to 'provel their case for large-scale redundancies. If, as seems clear. Chrysler is unable to handle its own affairs without causing widespread social havoc in the lives o working people, this will only turiner pack up ine Linwood sie:. ards! demand for it to be naiio-a sea witnul compensatio!.