miracle to sell its productivity deal to the strikers. tinuity of production' is a way increase line speed and absolute attack For manning Ford management has always fought for its "right' to fix the speed of the line and manning levels on the job.
The bosses have continually been on the offensive against the shop-floor to challenge this prerogative. Although disputes can go to 'procedure', this can called of Shiphundred in the British motor industry. several The Engineering and Training Board's by vehicle business to LIIS KC afflicted by stagnant or falling the production caused investment and the rundown of public existing plant.
The report range, riddled defects and poor quality.
Ryder and Commons Expendimotor industry.
just one collections *REG BIRCH is an extremely shrewd negotiator Council proven Evening at the key moment in nasty industrial situations to achieve a basically settlement.
So says last Saturday's Daily Telegraph of the Engineering Union's leading negotiator in the Ford strike. The Torygraph was reporting Birch's letter to FORD MANAGEMENT is suggesting it can work a The bosses claim that no production line speed-up changes would be involved BRIAN 2: GROGAN explains why they should be told to get lost. bonuses related to national months.
quick redress immediate -of five hours lost stoppages were content and discipline.
AS the Ford strike enters its fifth week, an unlikely document just published reveals the extent of the crisis workers in Birmingham or by unrealistic pay demands Labour Research (Vol 67, at Leyland, Vauxhall and Ford.
Industry 116-page average age of machine tools is reference paper on employment 12.75 years — a real sign of low and training in the motor investment shows that quotes engineering sector is strate in detail how old much of STOCK manufacturing is.
that than ten years old — 'a machine Leyland has an ageing model stock antique by design dards', says the EITB Less than half the Ageing capital equipment is borers, drilling machines, gear also the order of the day — a hobbing, grinding and milling feature pointed up in successive machines automatic lathes and reputation for inter- praise from such quarters.
moderate sible attitude' accept after being locked out.
action.
It is essentially stifle a grievance for several targets, bonus of the is force. unofficial action. Thus in 1975, four out workers through over work Moreover, ( And it is not being caused by 32 striking toolroom Thus Volkswagen, according to In engineering as a whole, the tor. ine but the EITB figures which demonmotor vehicle LeTCOLL For example, only 26 per cent present trend of capstan lathes in use are less fall even further any stan• fine well as power whole the company requesting talks. meetings It's not the first time he has won A year ago Victor Matthews, boss of the Daily Express, was Ford commending Birch's responin persuading engineers at the newspaper to few management's terms It was a deal which conceded Hugh Scanion a hard won right to union Management's call for 'con- woud gain total authority to of attempting to outlaw such discretion over manning levels.
that industrial action would cut the shift whole labour The intention is to pit any agains the rest of the Ford osals are an attempt to cur back workers, not just management, with the result that the bosses In the our arse back.
British investment has remained roughly static in the 1970s, and is way, way below European levels.
3. March 1978), invested £1,350 organisation. million in just three years to creale a new model range te the replace the Beetle. Investmen production whole of British Leyland was running at below £100 million per annum technology The prospect for the car industry is domination by the few multi-national giants. suggests, if the -ALS There's continues employment in the industry will And if there is amalgamation JODS. of the national firms, such as the mooted link-up of Leyland and Renault, the result will aiso be wholesale redundancies.
The only answer is for the workers to break the capitalists logic and nationalise the motor industry no strings. work time. talks on "management's desire to reduce existing staffing levels.
slightly different picture of Reg Birch. A Maoist and one of the remaining lefts on the AUEW executive, he tried to move a censure motion against following the deal negotiated by Scanion and similar ruse 1S being offering attempted over absenteeism. Because of the crazy speed of unofficial the line and the soul-destroying many workers take days off. By tying bonuses to national targets, the whole workforce would again be hit Management's other prop on the limited Ford workers have made in relation to tea and meal breaks.
'60s, managemen sharply reduced these breaks In Halewood, for instance, it was able in some shops to cut the meal break to 20 minutes and the time allowed during the day for going to the bog and having a fag to six minutes. As one worker out it: didn't even have time to wipe Since then, workers have made some gains through local agreements. It is these which management now wants to claw The bosses basically want to import the German situation In Ford plants there, every worker has an interest in the output of every other worker, which splinters the workforce and results in weak shop-floor As the article on investment in details. -Cal machinery Britain is relatively ancient and already modelled its Bridgend plant on its operations Cologne and Detroit.
no about store for the workforce with updated technology: a heavy shake out of The demand for no job loss needs to be taken up as part of any agreement. Above all, with various productivity schemes the company would like to impose, we must be fighting for the full claim with Jones behind the backs of the negotiating committee in the 1971 Ford strike.
Unfortunately, when Seanlon disclosed his sell-out deal and insisted on a postal ballot of the strikers, Birch did not join the executive menDers voted against the deal.
He abstained. It would be foolish to give him another chance to prove his reputation.
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ture Committee reports on the presses — in the motor industry are under ten years old