at the engine plant and the assembly plant.
MAY 1977 THE ENGINE PLANT DISPUTE In May 1977 a section of workers in the Dagenham engine plant requester to be moved to e saler placc ol work- due to ansafe conditions, including fire and explosions. Ford took them off pay. A meting of ail ine assembly areas was then called The areas had previously voted that If any one assembly sectios was laid off, all the lines would walk out and picket, mediately a picket was piac ed on all gates. The picket stayed al night and was relieved by the mightshift.
The next morning, the works committee of the engine plant called a meeting and moved that the picket line should be moved. The night shift workers on the picket invited to this meeting. And the dayshift pickets suspected that the main concern of the senior seemed to be their weekend overtimne. They refused to attend the meeting.
The picket continued, but the deputy convenor had already LAYOFFS HAVE a long history at Fords. Yet the unions are making little more than token gestures in taking up the constant layoffs. And it has been only through our militancy that the union has been forced to do it now. Just look at two recent cases at Dagenham: the disputes Cards staline Ine pickeE wal over and lorries should go thr ough. By the night the picker completely undermised by the action of the convenor and senior stewards.
However, within a few months the inyoff fight was taken up by assembly plant workers. It's a story to watm the heart!
FEBRUARY 1971 - THE ASSEMBLY PLANT DISPUTE In February this year Dagenham assembly plant workers were laid off twice in the one week because of the fight being waged against speed up and disciplite. We were angry and willing to fight When asked by shop stewards if we wanted a mass meeting to light these attacks, the 500 crim rC WOLLE HSU OCT LIDNU we wanted one. wanned it there and then.
We marchec alone the Ime inviting other workers to join ou demonstration until rhe canteen. Aller a lone delay the shop stewards turned down all practical proposals from the foor, They moaned thar during the last hundred yoars they had tried to fight in every possible waw but had bever woceedcd.
The feeling of the meeting was frustration. But when we returnCO WOTE LYU UUI take action. Different, ancoord.
inated action. It assembly nanE ShOD committee proposed a policy for fighting lay-offs.
Thin policy was later accepted worker and ly dedared TECHINE embly workers and that any future lay-off would be answered with a total stoppage ULCUDBLE WOud contoue anGl Bc co0t any agreed to pay 80 per cent of asc pay to the workers who had been laid off.
JUNE CONTINUES In June the determination of the assembly workers was to be teslied when a plant led to 2,000 body workers and 3,000 assembly workers being laid eff. The assembly stewpolicy agreed in Fehruary Pickets were set up at the main and cotrance in the Dapenhams estate. Transport stewards blocked all goody plam. The solidarity shown - by reached lorry drivers from as tar away as SETULLI Because our convenor Brian Elliot supported our demand for 80 per company _refused with him. union officials and.
then the stewards" disciplinary agreement Ford's called a mas TOnN COC BEaL E officials would This 1977: THE DISPUTE their members.
strike in the body of OuT notified implement the beast Lay-DI 1 Ecombined leaving che gave un tremendous CUIRJCLYAUME ional wage claim.
Workers take aver the pietlorm ar mass meeting.
in ther argued our casc. Nice une MUHLIS WINTE UL ACIUOLS bronght oul manugemcet softies -ONCHAL bent lay-o11 pay uu Instead it called in with the Dagenhan Panel of Convenors tried to cook up a desl above our work on the basis of a new With bod a mention of lay-off pay it was the opposite of whar we wanted their 'negotiated' plan. When the CORUSTOE LO SUTE AC WUA WEL the platform and chucked off the officials. A vote was taken and we'd been on strike for 18 days and were more confident than e'Eut the offelals stil weren's prepared to accept the feelings of IC CICu al other mass meeting. Scabs from haler pla cu ee seers to it end workers Ar the meeting a bem proposal was put forward, offering us ar 24 hours notice befare a number soeten elen ol the ta the union officials and managemens had it effect. The strike was called off.
We were left with officials telling deal "bridging agreement' and that the 80 per cent lay-off pay would be in the natHEYESI acek's pay Fords?
WUIKC riot. So the power came on and for the next 20 minutes workers, shopstewards, and the coavenor had the platform su to them elves. They mude speeches unt most important thing and about these events was thai seized the right control their own mase meeting The uniun official ran umay te Jlm the tad control of the platform -HS ME Bome: This is the only way do ensure democracy in the docisions we mule. A lesson for the fiture!
- who bear the was in camse about on the picket line. It i3 trying te miske the union fight for what the ordinary bokes an tie fine and their wives and girl friends wans. There are twe other women involved in FLACandtlat What are your plans? very important.
First, Iam trying lo get a group ol wives together like if there is a suske. Then we are circulating a petition to wives and girltriend: ahout the importance of the sain Wetend in hie toa guaranteed weck in chis unions — i is josc that they don't seenttothink c about theposition ol the wives 1 would support a strike callod just to win the guaranteed week. A Lor of worten should suport thal and they should look into the onges coming up in the peasic widowed would ger 2 wears wage about £6.000. But now she will only get one year's wages plus a Pt sac ir young when her blokc dies, thon she nothing cach weel, This new pler would makeher nuch worse off in that sicuation. I think chat's what the plan invalves. very complicated Ir looks as thou Lle young widow wonkt get muc os and the older widow a hi MOTL. What was the reaction from wives bink es and truck drivers when sou went on the picket line? The trock STIVELS -were ver) sympathetic. and mast turned away. The whole experience very interesting. The blokes dide" scem ar all put out. They were jus pleased I was there Some of the wives were a little hesitant They dida't think the could do it. Ther say Not me.
haw Cink 8S 1102 LU and l'am pregnant. 1E we all pull Logether, we can do these thines