Last September, the National Joint Negotiating Committee at Fords put in a demand for an all-round £10 a week wage increase. The basis of their demand isparily, parity with the Midlands. The company is sweating. At the end of last year's strike, in March 1969, they agreed to pen discussions on the question of parity Now they are complaining that the Fords mer have singled out the Midlands and in particular the Rootes plant at Ryton in a way which is "unfair". The company thought that parity meant the average wage of the industry as a whole! Then they circularised every man at Fords, trying to persuade them that although the men at Rootes earn around 6 or 7 shillings an hour more, they are worse off than if they were at Fords; but Fords work much longer hours. They also pleaded serious international ompetition; but they pay their workers on the Continent more than the men at Dagenhan and Halewnod As usual; the arguments put forward by management have little to do with justice or fairness, as these categories are irrelevant to the market. The employers are influenced by the organised strength of the workers and by the combativity of their leadership. The men at Fords are militant and feeling strong. They have urgued the case for parity well; the rank and file s taking the demand seriously and knows that it will most likely mean a strike. Stickers and badges can be seen all over the plants. Mass meetings have been held, and there has been well organised liaison. Four hundred representatives from all of Ford's 23 plants met in Coventry last month, and a small group of men from the shop floor went over to Ostend, where they met Belgian and German Ford workers, to ensure that there will be no international scabbin the men 's strike has grown out of last year's strike, which was a five-week action which struck a heavy, although not a final, blow against the White Paper, It didn't achieve everything it set out to do; in particular, the Unions conceded a small penalty clause which has since roved totally ineffective. (There have in fac een more stoppages since the agreement thar before). Above all, last year's strike was a defensive action which also made some gains, the main one being that the men went back to work work strong, united, and knowing they could fight.
If there is a strike this year over the new demand, as many of the Fords militants think, it will have even greater national impact than last year's. For it will be an aggressive action, demanding parity with the highest-paid workers in or this demand will redouble wage struggle throughout Britain The company's first offer will be made on January 23rd. They have a good record for stupidity, and a strike is on the cards. Black Dwarf has interviewed two Dagenham convenors about the possibilities of a struggle. They spoke about their international contacts, what they hink of students, how they organise in the ›lants, what they think of the Labour Party whether or not they should occupy the factories. When asked why the demand for parity was being put forward now, they replied. "Because now the time is right for us to be able to put the most force behind it."
This important interview will be carried in the next issue of Black Dwarf. SPRITL WAGES AT FORDS NOW