Management's determination to smash plant bargaining was reflected in their refusal to grant two days holiday pay lost by 4,000 production workers on strike for the last three weeks at the Stoke, Coventry plant. This would almost certainly have provided the basis for a recommendation by the stewards to return to to work on the basis of Chrysler's offer.
'PARTICIPATION'
The basic pay offer that Chrysler is making to all its plants is an extra £8-with no mention of future negotiations towards the £15 which the Stoke strikers are demanding from July. But the deal is also tied to acceptance of an end to plant bargaining and 'worker participation' and profit sharing. Chrysler are offering two £50 lump sums to get this agreed. Unable to defeat the work-force in a straightforward fight over productivity and manning levels on the shop floor, Chrysler want worker participation to do the job for them.
can do nothing about it! Chrysler management are all set for a long confrontation in their battle to force through a package deal on pay and participation. Their aim-to end plant bargaining in the combine and achieve centrally co-ordinated negotiations in place of the present 53 separate onesparcel of Chrysler's plans to force through a savage rationalisation which will inevitably mean speed-up and large scale redundancies amongst the 27,000 strong workforce.
Fords. workers.
So far the Linwood stewards at Chrysler's plant in Scotland have rejected the deal, but simply on the basis that it doesn't offer all their production workers enough money to bring their rates into line with Coventry. The Ryton, Coventry stewards seem to be waiting for someone else to take a lead, while the situation at the Stoke, Coventry plant is deadlocked. Chrysler stewards fear that national bargaining would lead to the same slump in earnings as has happened in FIGHT BACK The establishment of a real national shop stewards' combine committee, which would systematically report back on their negotiations and proposals to mass meetings in all the plants, is an urgent necessity in building a national fight back in this trial of strength between Chrysler management and their Photo: JOHN STURROCK (Report) MOTOR INDUSTRY • is part and OLLIC WOLKCIS were issued last week.
Against this the rail unions should 2. FORDS Eighty doorhangers and setters in the Body Plant at Ford's Dagenham voted overwhelmingly on 27 May to stay out 'indefinitely in their fight against speed-up ahd manning cuts. The six-week old strike has cost Ford's 11,000 cars worth £22 million in saleroom terms. Management promptly responded with a lock-out of 6,500 workers and threats- later withdrawn in the face of union opposition-to break the lay-off agreement. KNOCK-DOWN' When the dispute first broke out an occupation took place which quickly sealed off the wheels and 'Knock-Down' shops. If this start had been built on it could have hit production nationally and become a focus for winning support at this level. But after getting the plants. occupation called off, the convenor and deputy convenor have done nothing to organise support for the striking workers.
Their only efforts have been directed towards getting the national union officials off the hook by attempting to get management to take the dispute to The Concilion ane aroator ser vice-a body set up by the Wilson Government to police the social contract!
This risks throwing away all that has been fought for over the past weeks, by undermining the independent struggle The plant leadership is hailing Ford's agreement to go to arbitration as a major victory -an open admission that they will not seek to unite all Ford workers in a common fight to defend jobs. A strike in the Dagenham foundry shop alone could paralyse the whole of Ford's operation in the UK. This type of action could rapidly force Ford's to It is now up to the strikers themselves to elect a strike committee and campaign for support from other sections and Rebuilding the occupation of the Body Plant could provide the focus for this-it would also force the officials into action.
EXPLOITEL
All Ford's attacks are just the prelude to big redundancies and a smaller, more exploited workforce. To be effectively countered a national policy OI WOrK ShannE WIn no loss or Day against short-time and speed-up is needed Ford's books should be opened to work out how the workers can implement ums boncy and prcoare me way lor the nationalisation without compensation and under workers control of the whole car industry.