The showdown over the Government-Chrysler deal came at a meeting of the Chrysler stewards combine committee on 29 December in Coverntry. Under pressure from the trade union full-timers particularly Bob Wright of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers - a motion was carried by just one vote (43 to 42) to demand negotiations on the manner and timing of the 8,300 redundancies.
It was then the stewards heard of the decision not to allow any such negotiations to take place. The Government was insisting that the deal had to be agreed on in princ iple by the next Saturday.
As Duncan Simpson, AUEW convenor at Stoke, put it: The company are holding a pistol at our heads". The bullets were provided courtesy of H. Wilson & Co. via a letter to Chrysler. The gist of this was: "Tell the union representatives to accept 8,300 redundancies now, or they will be facing 24,000 redundancies next Saturday.
GOVERNMENT INTENTIONS aunchina he rescue scheme ornsler were laid bare by the Observer (21 the piece December) which commented on the position taken by Harold Lever, millionaire right winger in the cabinet and architect of the scheme:
HAROLD LEVER *Mr Lever.... would not have recommended it to the Cabinet if he had not also had in mind the need to provide a lan back bosuon a phasing out over d couple of years..... This had a number of advantages. Workers would not bec ome redundant at once, but in 1977 or 1978... It would also reduce the loss to the Government in unemployment pay and tax payments. possible to continue the company's Iranian contract and avoid offence to the Shah.
large numbers of workers in the Midin this way be deferred until after the next election.
WHAT THE PLANS MEAN include:
* Transfer of the Avenger from the manufactured in France form for assembly.
8,300 redundancies.
And it would be DON LANDER time to prepare for a Chrysler collapse Finally, the honest Observer scribes pointed out that the decision to throw Don Lander, managing director of Chrysler UK, also spelled out his policies to union officials on 29 December. These Termination of the Imp in January. * Termination of the Hunter range by Ryton plant in Coventry to Linwood. * Termination of the Avenger in March/ Total closure of the Maidstone plant.
The new Alpine model - now being - to be shipped to Ryton in break-down The only real commitment to continue production beyond 1977/78 is the BOB WRIGHT