vote 5 4 in favour of a return to work.
from what the workers were demanding.
The toolroom workers were beginning to feel the effects of Bolation in their 12-weck strike for higher bonus pay when lucas made its offer. Throeghout the strike. appeared, But when the women demanded that management increase its offer to the strikers after they had met with the toolmakers, this story naturally didn t appear.
And although the toolroom workers organised factory tours to win support, the AUEW lesdership dragged it heels ail the way, In fact, the only reason the mass meetting was called on Saturday was because the exec ative committee had pushed Lucas to make another concess ion, above the heads of the negotiating committee.
The 11,300 production work ers laid off by the strike, plus the massive lay-offs the strike was about to provoke in Leyland and elsewhere, made the situation too dangerous for the union bureaucrats. An excuse was needed for a MONSK HELLHER The executive committee of the Engineering Union bas finally achieved in the Lacas toolmakers strike what Fleet Street had been unable to do on its own. Last Saturday, Terry Duffy - AUEW official and the right-wing's presidential candidate, managed to get a mass meeting to He was opposed by both the negotiating committee and the shop stewards committee. JOHN GRAHAM reports that management's so-called compromise is a far cry The palsey improvement which Lucas offered was a mete extra ES0 compensation tor we sinNe on top of the 6100 they bad first come up sut the Dosses dide hudge from their previous offer on the strikers' increase in the bonus scheme The toolmakers accepted the 63 offer, hut this is tied to an agreement that gotiations will be based on an entirely different bonus scheme.
ALEW dvisional organiser Bill Dully, backed by the Jordan, pot the union's Hirmingham East district comnitree to agree to this sell-out by a vote of 16-9. Every argument in the book was used to cunvince the commentitee, especially die lay-offs. suffered hy production workers A member of the committee countered by explaining how workers benefit from a victory. Lacas had implied that any reached with toolroom workers would extend lo the claim production workers will submit on their return to work.
The negotiaring dashed any hopes held by Dutty and Jordan that the return to work would be entirely smooth rejected the Neither was the joint shop stew ands commitice convinced votes were cast against 24 to refuse the recommendation.
These votes dida't really matter from the point of view of the union officials. They got what they wanted — another chance to address a mast meeting.
And with the weight of the national leadership in the background, the negotiating committee found it difficult to pur up a an adequate fight for rejection.
Production line workers in the CAT ICAT Ject to lay off, and they aren't covered by lay-off agreements. Wlich is why it is vital that the usions take up the fight for the guaranteed pay regardless of the reasons for any lay-offs. This will focus attention on the real than those involved in the fight to maintain their living standards under Labour's attacks.
And it will also prevent craft groups. like the would Being let oper used setilemenil last Saturday thel sensor stew production workers were waiting Tike parasites' their own claim all the gains of committee the cobroom workers.
the ocean.
A substantial majority - 34 workforoe, work on a rosterthe was organised picketing are frequently subrather money General, which anyone can be un But in my unton you have to be a worker. aren't important to the TGWU reduction support dackets in Hull from 4,500 10 2,100 over the pass 10 years. For a union like the TOWU, with 1.3 million members it's a drop in were "We are ready for the strike:
We learned a lot in the 1972 strike. I took place after the wave of apposition to the Devin Report. The Report split the Ive weapons peter and de me on t or Tour days, In Liverpa struck Also pie work was very hard, with unsafe hours and no time for meals, shike there