few days ago.
that the (16½ incorporated into basic rates.
the working week.
ROB McCRAE, pay.
ALONG WITH everyone else. Ford workers have suffered the effects of years Incomes UHUCE Labour Government.
Wage increases have fallen more than 20 per cent behind price increases, which have doubled cinceanour elected in February 1974.
An increase of E20, which is our 3C3111 demands, would almost LESLOTO purchasing power of our gross pay to what it was in October 1974.
Even taking into account the Government's tax cuts, a E20 rise would still leave a shortfall of 4 per cent in real take home pay over the same period.
The figures for the majority B-grade workers tell their own story. Even it the penalty clauses and attendance allowance are discounted, the new offer would leave Ford workers well behind the rising cost of THE CLAIM that brought about the Ford strike was scarcely mentioned by the union officials at the mass meetings which rejected the company's 'final offer' a When the vote was put at Dagenham, for example, the strikers were called on to reject the offer on the basis of opposing the penalty clauses and seeking to ensure per cent) increase in wages was The official, Mick Murphy of the Transport Union, said nothing about the original claim, which includes the demand for a £20 rise and a five-hour reduction in La press shop worker at the Dagenham plant, looks at the importance of these two demands and argues that the national conference of Ford shop stewards which originally formulated the claim should be recalled to ensure they're not dropped.
£20 on the living.
The figures are these. On day shift, the present before stoppages is E68. The componal s6.02, with E3.48 on company's the of top with their weekly attendance supplement. That makes a total new wage of £78 - E10 short of our claim.
Under the claim our wage would be £88, which is what we was need to protect our It isn't only Ford workers who would suffer if we fail to the meet OUT target. coincidence that all the major groups of workers with wage claims pending are demanding increases Public sector manual workers, for instance, are demanding ter to bring encir manan up to £60. A compromise on the principies involved in dratting the Ford workers' claim would weaken the case of others too.
A very important principle is the unifying character of the Ford claim for £20. In the past, we've always had a collection of sectional demands as a way of dressing up a moderate pay demand.
Even in this dispute, the idea of a special allowance line-workers has been pushed by KOn LOCO HENC negotiator, as a way of selling something short of the t20 The best answer fight for unifying demands like the across-the-board f20 which will benefit everyone.
FORD HAS MADE a great deal of the high absentee rates The allowance eliminate this.
But the main basic wage absenteeism work conditions unpleasant.
It's no joke when the line speed is so high. plant 133 engines equivalent of one engine every 27 seconds.
Shiftwork, the stench in the factory, the boring nature of living no a comparable to this in the company had made an offer of nine and a half per cent, plus the attendance supplement.
Despite our insistence, they are now offering on the basic OUS. reduction since then.
Some progress!
The until Xmas in hours.
Dagenham 'attendance no exception. designed ROUGE of fact that technology, The engine at Dagenham produces an hour the Detroit, these contribute to so-called "absenteeism', and to the huge turn-over of workers at Ford That's one of the reasons why a reduction in the working Everyday we're told what a wonderful system capitalism is;
But at Ford, as in many other factories, we only achieved ine 40-hour week at the start of the WC VC had company's employee relations director, Paul Roots, has been quoted as saying that could continue and they SESH the wouldn't concede the reduction aHOWanCE As Ron Todd said at the mass everything we've ever had from rord, we ve nad to nigat tor And a reduction in hours will be all.
maze With the introduction of new the case for a management. shorter working week is ever more important. We've only got to look at what happened in the United States to see that automation means job loss.
At the River Rouge plant in example, there were 102.800 workers in 1929 been earned. By 1970, there were less than *Involved rate less than they offered last Ford profits are going -alE The only way to save jobs is to fight for work-sharing with IF FORD workers had accepted company's attendance and the penalty clauses attached to this, what would it have meant for us?
Principally, that a large part * Late of any new cash offer is not guaranteed to the workers at would be well nigh impossible for many workers to avoid getting caught up in the of conditions laid down Ford This is what they told us in a letter to all employees:
An employee will not qualify for the supplement in a week in which he (sic) has been: * On annual vacation for which in week would be a real step along LuIs Toda stoppage work whether official or unofficial. *Taken off Day either individually or as a member of *Suspended for disciplinary DUESOses *Absent without permission *Absent with permission. for example, on personal business or extended unpaid leave.
more than occasion, or on one occasion in excess of five minutes. *Disqualified from payment for a public holiday. *Laid-off where this results directly indirectly disruptive action within any of ComDany s establishments.
As you can see, the proposed allowance simply adds £3.48 -the amount of the supplement — to what we directly lose in wages for hours not worked.
would prove a mign weapon the hands of management to pusa troug! their productivity drives. RIGHT
----- pull-quotes -----
NO THE
off day!
ALL PRODUCTIVITY DEALS ARE A Fraud