"Of course it's a political fight" response from management and the unions.
"At a mass meeting of workers Leyland's Longbridge factory last Friday, chairperson Leyland stewards, chose his targets carefully.
Hisattitude to the company-s offer of a five per cent increase WaS conciliatory.
reasonaole.
Robinson assured Leyland's management. HARSH harsh words reserved for those on the left argued for immediate strike action.
*I get tired of being advised what to de by the lunaticleft, the Trots, and their henchmen, shouted Robinson.
And yet i was ine inreal or immediate action which finally management to make any offer in reply to the unions" 30 per cent claim.
The Cowley plant threatened strike money was forthcoming, and just before AFTER FRIDAY's mass meeting at plant about the future of the Ford strike. This was the first mass meeting seven weeks. why do you think it was called?
Phil: All Ron Todd and the other officials are looking for is an easy way out of the situation they find themselves in. unions will only pay out for the SunKe Tor SO Iong.
They are not asking anvwnere neal supposed to be going for, which Is 120 and a 35 hour week. I doubt if the 35-hour week has even ocen taked about Nick: All the stuff about sick they've forgotten that JOHNNY HAINE in Cowley and PAT HICKEY in Birmingham report on the Leyland pay claim and the Cowley's deadline for action ran out last Friday the offer was Derek Provuccur tne staggering sum of £3.65 a week.
It would be incorrect to say The rot has gone far enough!
were had to: 6 Salisbury Rd., Moseley, Birmingham.
Phil Newton: "The officials are looking for an easy way out.
Socialist Challenge spoke to Nick Fox, Phil Newton and shop steward Barry Graham who work in the body gether. It's just the money on the basic rate they're interested in now.
Barry: If the allowance is put on the basic rate they'll recommend a return to work.
The What do you think the Ford Workers Group should for doing? were Phil: The Group put out a good leaflet on the offer, but that's the trouble - • there is very little you can do but leaflet.
Barry: But we went down to the Vauxhall plants to speak. alto- Liverpool W C that there are strings attached There are enormous ropes.
If the productivity schemes, if they job losses 20,000, if they accept the parity fraud, and if parity is self-financing, then the workers can have their five per cent increase. The rank and file Leyland Charter is calling a meeting open to all Leyland workers in early December. For further information write situation and the feelings on the shop floor to what they were doing, their claim, and their unofficial committees. We got a resounding success.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get a speaker down to the other two plants in time. Im not saving it would have changed the situation, but their knowing our claim and us knowing theirs helped a lot.
Phil: I agree entirely, but you must look at these things a bit cynically.
PRESSURE Look at all the work done in the past by the Ford Workers Group on the claim. It can all be blown away in a few minutes by the decisions of a few top Barry: But don't you think that Hune rank and me organise themselves into pressure group uney can pust Dagenham, for greater I'm not saying we could do it gradually build mcnna acmocracy inside mese things so that the officials are no longer appointed or elected for life but only put in on a year attendance to year basis And if they don't do their job properly we can replace them by somebody else.
Do you think the Coventry be ConTerencE stewards should be recalled? Phil: The Coventry conference is a chance for the workers who come work on me noor mandate the claim. But last year they didn't At recall the conference. OU! Barry: This year it was specified The accept was short and sharp. Bob Fryer, of over the next step.
was Cen more aramaut immediate 3,000 workers.
POSTPONED Leyland's sewardes max mum nationalised company cent norm than is Ford. because everything level.
not using you as weaDOn ment?
pay policy.
are drawn in.
Women workers don't seem no ved une sake Barry:
front this proper democracy Halt could up greater only workers and Ford shop Belle Vue, Manchester Tickets non-earners stewards on the Cowley negotiating WOrKerS committee'sanswer to this offer Transport and *26,000 General Workers' Union senior steward, described the offer as turning "derisory' and called for a joint stewards meeting to consider per cent.
The response of the workers at Leyland's Drew's Lane plant jer cent uca walk-out of the It was left to Communist Party member Derek Robinson at the Longbrage meeting Moreover, try and calm matters down. He successfully persuaded the mass meeting to postpone possible COnDay 20 strike action until 1 December.
But it seems unlikely that boss Michael will respond Robinson's friendly overtures. until 1983.
that five per cent is the 'absolute in Belgium, London, and being industry the much more susceptible to pressure from the proposed Government over the five per that there should be a recall conference. It hasn't happened has beer left in the hands of the NJNC and senior stewards at plant What do you think of Todd's statement that the unions are La political against Ene governNick: It must be a political fight. The Government makes won t get anywhere unless other workers and wives to have been The ones the Riverside plant were down the * morning SHIETH.
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©Charter FIGHT BACK! WE BUILD
LESLAND CHARTER NATIONAL MEETING