Over the last ten days a series of disputes and strikes have hit the Marina assembly line at the British Leyland complex at Cowley. Workers Press paper of the Workers Revolutionary Party- has attacked the disruptive activities of the IMG, and the management has denounced 'extremists", an attack also directed at the IMG.
The employers aim to reduce the number of men on the Marina assembly lines by more than the cut in production. This means an increase in effort by 10 to 15 percent.
Production of cars for the American market is being increased from six cars in every 35 to 18 in every 30. The safety measures on American cars involve far more work than the less-safe British cars, so these workers face speed-up of 20 to 30 percent.
WORK STUDY
The company is trying to put into practice the findings of their industrial engineers' (time and motion study). Three ycam ago, the management replaced the piece-work system by measured day work. The hourly fat rate was aimed at boosting production without increasing wages, and since 1971 wages have fallen behind the cost of living.
The use of the 'industrial cagineers nine months negotiations and several. succes, This Lays down strict condstions Jor work timing and stipulates that the res ards. This has stopped the compuny pouting Every lane the company has jacke-up output, the stewards have demanded an increase of men on thie job.
ORGANISER SPECIAL 2C.
TICK TO QUR GUNS BLMC have sufferod losses in profit of L30 million because of the throc-day woek. Over 100,000 vehicles have been lost and The company faces a 25 percent increase in steel prices, higher petrol chane and a 30 percent hike in clectricity pricch In the nest year the British market will shrink by 30 percent, ani British Leyland expects to sell 20 percent les units in Turope. The manapement see only one na st cur prun bon and piercom productivityFIGHT BACK, At first they got their way. The stewments joh shoets collapsed. The nest wick toreanation of the awmbly tracks ed to resist, objecting to the braking of aureensunts or oot willed with new workSupport spread to the production ys Jer. Then the whole Marina assembly shop voted to back these groups. Four Altint the senior stewards lapped behina, oncertain whether the fragmented resistance could be coontinatod into a THE URB-INSER STIN THE BRING LINE Two issues of 'The Organiser", the IMG Cowley factory bulletin united fight. A key rok was then play od by the Organiser factory buslerin of the poned moves by the company to break the isnapement to call in the stowards, However. only mainbe conceanons wure plex chroctor, la person it nonnally lakes no real concessions.
Est level, the man soment ansisten on up ing the industrial engincent at any time. However, the apreement states, studies can only be done when conditions aro Normal Every time the industrial engincers" turned up on a track at reduced speed -to let new operatives learn their job-work stopped.
ire up the situation to a retorn to work and abandoning defence of the Industrial it must be the capitalists and not the workforce who are made to pay for the capitalists criss. Only nationalisation these questions, If financial problems do ment on all cupitalist newspapors would ensure that the cost of capitabs snatchy nights walking out.
IMG Coming out twist a day it reported what had happened on cach shift. It os agreements and argued for united action.
Tie workers darded to demonxtal: outside the directors oftice. This forced offered. Even the demonstration the next months of negotiations to seet produced Acting on instructions from the highgetting any increase.
LEADERSHIP The senior stewards recommended neithet acceptance nor rejoction. This meant openWhatever kind of operation a set up. Engineering Apreements In their leafler attacking extremists the company chimments, With no lead from the stew ands. and confused by the mungements assurances, the night shift did not vote to sepp- Glean a policy und a fiem lead hoer the ort the day shift. Only the provocative and unprecodented is: of industria on nights led to a sectian on allow "industrial enginers" on the tracks when mere are gonna concern They aefuse to allow tracks to po ahove a DILAN DANIS Last Monday 5155 Branchof the TGWU heard a report froe thie senior stewands The stewands had leaned over backwards. Car torre pole or ocine preparco to cive away lundamental clauses in the Acres ment ane wickd the clauses Which have been at the root of the dispures. But still the company would not setele. BEMC an determined to destroy all the clauses that resent work cir and oustruct their right to put its tindings into practice They ancement over work-study.
Michael Foot has faithfully carried out the letter of Phase 3 in refusing any interim deal on the NALGO London Weighting Claim.
He told union representatives at a meeting on 1 April that they would have to wait until the Pay Board's report on London Allowances is published some time in June before The union leadership has responded by stepping up industnal action. Strikes, postponed hefore the meeting with Foot are now in propress at Islington, and somo departments in Tower Hamlets and Kensington and Chelsa Other horoughs cre to to popone to Join In At two mas moutings, both che sight shalt and the day shafr hase voled to strike and will meet an Tharday to review the The level of militaney has been high.
stewards, the workers will light. Other sections in the factory are siso showing an equal willingness to fight back, At the neighbouring BLMC service. Dision. an indelnile sinke hos stance over the company's refusal to bring forward the date of their unnual wage ro View. Some miltant stewards ate pressine for a claim that would break Phase 3.
in the trim shop for the Marina #seeir a proud or women workors facod with a Mo percent incrense in work load startod a site. Despite lack of of support from the rest of the trim-shop shap, their action paid off the compuny agreed to withdraw all the sudies and - MELOLIE WEI TIE SERSTOS.
Elsese individual struggles are bringing Come to many BLMC workers the mean ing of the manapement's attacks What organise a united counter-offensire hy the entire workforce.
selective strike action and overtine buns, and the possibility of a ban on voluntary clection duties is being discussed.
However the attempt by the union leadership to come to a deal with the employers and Foot on an interim agreement shows the necessity Jor strang organisation to put the struggle into the hands of those really fighting it. This means developing and building the campaign commitlees which have already been set up in a namber of branches, generalising the strike action into branches where no activity is yet under way, and torning democratically elected strike committees to carry out and organise the struggle both in he branches and on an all Landon basis.