of their strike.
down, writes MICK DRAKE.
Two things were decisive in achieving this vote: unanimous opposition of the trade union side of the National Joint Negotiating Committee, and Ford's shopping list of penalty clauses on the proposed attendance allowance.
As one Dagenham worker told me after the Friday mass meeting: *The only way we'd ever get that allowance is by living in the factory."
workers as they left the mass ARUSH NANDI CAUSE been - just what have they voted vor, and wnat s nappenca to tne full claim?
The issues were particularly murkyat those plants where the union officials allowed no rank and file speakers.
Despite a vote of between two and tree to one to reject the offer at Dagenham, example. bureaucratic conduct of the mass meeting left those workers who had voted accept feeling cheated, militants who want to fight for the full claim had no chance to counter the demagogy of the platform.
REACTIONS On the next page we publish extracts from the speech made the trade union side, and the reactions of of strikers. Todd and AUEW official Les Choulerton were Ene OlIV speakers Dagenham meeting.
Predictably, the press and television have latched on to this meeting to launch campaign for secret ballots, although no one has claimed that the vote was really favour of acceptance.
Nevertheless, the impression has been given that the vote was rigged.
THE vote to reject the offer at Dagenham FOR THE FIRST time in seven weeks, Ford workers have had the chance to discuss and decide on the future With the last vote coming in from the Swansea mass the bosses have received an overwhelming thumbs There is no great concern for the workers' democracy in the press campaien. As speakers at the Langley lass pointed out, there was no call for secret ballots last year when Ford workers turned down their negotiators' recommendation.
The media has consistently misrepresented the offer being worth 16 per cent in the hope of swaying the vote. Brian Phillips, convenor of the Swansea plant, explained: The offer isn't worth lo per cent it's 11 per cent plus 5 per cent with strings.
STRINGS *Even if they drop the strings interested. accept E20 on the pay and one hour off the day. for Asked about secret ballots Phillips added: "Secret ballots arc a load or bunsni. our members are perfectly capable while having a discussion and voting as uncy choose.
Unfortunately, the Were DOE posed clear-cut way at Dagenham, where nearly half of Ford's 57,000 workers in Britain are employed When the vote was taken, chairperson Michael Murphy slipped in that it was to endorse the the negotiators' position reconne me comany ore and demanding that auchdance allowance moncy Do incorporated INTO ate. A far crv from the original claim.
At Leamington, venor first of all instructed workers to take no notice of the in leaflet put out by the Ford Workers Group, proceeded to set out the case against Ford's offer the arguments in the leaflet!
as We'll meetings, issues in such a But the shop stewards there did make recommendation to reject the offer, in accepted. Many Leamington the plained later that they had not known WORl the basic leadership had recommended.
past, militants have been wary of the the conin case all they got was more Last week's votes show that and then not only is this manipulative attitude towards using cratic running of strikes wrong in principle, but it is ineffective RON TODD — allowed no rank and file speakers at Dagenham practice clear and it was narrowly of the workers comemphatic union company one eVen Sele HOIC viewpoint aired.
for "democracy" the demosecret ballots.
while there one of them.
She drugged her release.
attempt campaign, possibly the can be committee rights haven't Callaghan.
own It was at plants like Langley, where workers who wanted to JUNCIS.
right accept were allowed their say, and their arguments replied to, pleased.
Was the most
rejection of the The fight must now be for subjeet of democratically run and with every This would strengthen the fight for the full claim and answer the phoney campaign being waged by the media on the theme of usurpers THE Gibson inquired after junior, mother: 1 have When after nothing Wrong number THE CURRENT issue of the London magazine Time Out carries an appeal for support Palma Donoso, a Chilean milant WInO in the hands of the junta. The only thing is tha are 2,500 such prisoners, Haydee is no longer Wal: found heavily The on the Chile-Peru border last March, following an international campaign for She now lives in Cuba. So why the appeal?
Time Out says it received an official-looking press from the Chile Committee for Human Kions. ne commite says it's a fake, and an obvious perpetrated quite the Spanish-speaking junta lovers who make obscene phone call: to the committee's office.
It is inconceivable that this has anything to do with the Chilean embassy. Readers who care to confirm this should note embassy number, 01-580 6392. A list of the real prisoners up.
obtained the Cambridge Terrace, London N1.
Risky business ENTHUSIASTS of democratic feel that these been doing LOU well under the regime of James with AgeeHosenball, ABC, Astrid Proll, the Suppression of Terrorism Act, etc ad nauseum.
In fact, they may be drawn to the conclusion that our ver democratically elected Lavour Government nas beer and extending the use of the state's and that the farrish would be moderately Forget it. Electing governments to run capitalism is a very risky business these days. The this year's Ross Memoris. Essay Competition - prize £2,000 is: Are limits on the power of then democratically elected governHens necessary o secure the freedom and responsibility of the individual.
Strangely, Augusto Pinochet of Chile and a string of similar have been included among the judges.
Intelligence (sic)
ALL-POWERFUL super-technological British war machine in the North of Ireland is showing signs of strain. Two weeks ago the RUC called at the Belfast's Andersonstown. The officer Andy Gibson and told Andy's warrant for his page arrest for failing to turn up fo jury service. He's got enough reminaers, now ne will nave to face the consequences RUC demanded to know where he the politely explained: "Certainly, if you go up the MI and take the Blaris turn off at Hillsborough you will find him about a mile down the lane. Ask the Governor to take you to Cage 11.
Andy Gibson is serving 16 years in Long Kesh.
But the red faces in the RUC this little incident are compared wild happened last week, when a letter arrived at John Picker ing's Belfast home informing Chim he had been fined 15 fol failing to answer a summons TOE HUEY SCIVICE John had been asked to sit on Jury September. Unfortunately at the time he, too, was in Long Kesh, and has been since August 1976.
Apparently these marvellous examples the STITTS intelligence system are due to computers used by -Ene RUC/Army, crammed nail a munon names. Which reminds N/N of a question: wny are ant-trish JOKES SC stupid?"
So - that can understand them.
LI WAS alICul for pRoto graphers to find a vantage point to take pictures of the Ford mass meeting at Dagenham on Friday. photographer, Jonathan Silberman, waited by a convenents stee ease r00 for a convenient time to climb He gained permission fron the owner of the garage. But he was approached by a cop. This conversation ensued:
*If you get up there, I'll arrest you for behaviour likely to yourself.
Meanwhile, you're looking SUSDICIOUS. MOVI 'Suspicious of what?' *Well, you're wearing tight trousers and there are children There. You look suspiciously like your're intending sexual play with children.' 'What's your number? our photographer demanded.
Wnars your name and address?
Dermai gave the details, produced his nUJ press card for identification. The the cop asked:
'What's your date of birth?' 'I don't have to stand here answering questions.' *Right, I'm arresting you on suspicion of intending sexual activity with children. It won't stick. But I can take you down the station for a few hours and honograph, will you Alterna you won't your tively you could give me your date of birth."
Silberman gave PC K384 this and walked off after being warned: *If I see you DacK around nere you KIOY what the consequences will be.
The NUJ is being notified about the incident, and official complaint made to the police.
Twinkle, twinkle VICTOR MATTHEWS' new Daily Star — It will support •who supports capita lism. That means the Tories had an unscheduled send off when the printing presses rolled out the first instalment of fulland endless titilation last week.
decorated the paper's Manchester offices "This is offensive to women' Short stories •Readers are invited to submit short stories for this year's Competition Maximum length of stories should be3.500 words They should arrive at our office by 24 November. in judges will be: Mervyn Jones, Биша теллав, апа rrancis Mulhern.
Socialist Challenge 9 November 1978 Page 3
the work, the terrible din — all 35,000
----- pull-quotes -----
meeting on Sunday, where only 32 out of the 1,500 strikers voted to accept the company's "final offer',
A funny thing happened...