Solihull Easter break the company began its original 5 percent pay offer.
Only the Land Rover and Range Rover plants at Solihull, and the Birmingham Common Lane plant which produces the Sherpa van, went on strike against the company's imposition deal. Jaguar Brown's Lane plant came out over a grading deal.
The union leaderships had Terused an lispute. Terry Duff president of the Engineering Union, hac deliberately sabotaged possibility of a united response at British Leyland. After the AUEW membership in BL in many DALS TO VOLC Was taken - IC instructed all the Engineering Union members to work normally. Control The Transport Union refused to call its membership OUL. but promised support lo members who did fight Combine pins Therelind Combine Negotiating Committee and the convenor's conference failed to give any lead, effectively leaving control In the hands of the union officials.
The result was that most of the major did not take acuoll. At the SDI plant Solihull, which produces Rover saloon Cal. meeting before Easter was split 50-50 on a call to join on strike WHEN British Leyland workers clocked in after the imposing working conditions which were the strings attached to the Range Rover Rover plants, despite the fact that these plants were intending to picket the SDI gates.
Picket The The result of leadership's failure at national level was that SDI crossed the picket Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of last week. the Group at the plant made the decision to cross the picket lines to fight inside SDI to win action against the company's plants. I nIs decision vindicated at a mass meeting on Friday when the strike call was put again. There were votes in lavour or sunke achon and only votes des lay-offs the abl phant has lay-offs the SDI plant has only worked for three since he turning p'sint was. turning pout was the TGWU decision to give official backing to the striking plants, but the reality happening with the implement ation package played a major role. At the SDI company refused to give out the back pay due on the every shop steward had made a personal undertaking resist any aspect of the new ALL OUT ON and Land the workers ines and Marxist SDI difficult was 3,500 against, BOILIS working conditions. of what was When asked what these management's might be, the reply was: 'What the foreman tells The workers at the SDI plant plant the realised that the package meant deal until hence the unaudhany not to votes at the mass meeting.
The main task facing BI BUILDING for all-out action on 14 May - see page 2 management was conditions you they are. have to work. of shop floor OUl. workers now is the spreading of also the dispute to the whole of and targets for this be Longbridge Work We they are on rol at the main plants still a serious obstacles will be put in the way of winning the But the smaller plants must Plan.
the be won. A difficult problem is presented by Canley Castle Bromwich, since both these plants face closure by the end of the year.
The strike must be turned from one of resistance to the company's imposition of new working conditions to one of • opposition to the Edwardes The demands must be for a revival of the full claim; £24 across the board; for a 35-hour week no string and smash the Edwardes' Pla Together with the task of spreading the strike will go that of forging a new unity at British bevland. At Solihul we will be establishing a strike committee for the whole site, then trying to link up with Common Lane and Jaguar As more plants come out a national strike committee should established to put control the dispute in the hands the strikers and prevent any sell-out deals Such a body could replace Leyland Combine Joint Negotiating Committee, which entirely undemocratic and shown itself incapable of fighting its way out of a paper bag.
Victory As the strike develops, management and the government will threaten wholesale closures and job loss. We will have to respond to such threats with occupations, an by taking the fight to the com ponents Inausury already facing massive job loss.
the highest ever in the car company. Edwardes wants te destroy organisation in the stepady stewards completely, and a defeat i for union organisation in BL is im portant for the government.
The company has already threatened victimisation victory for BL workers would be a massive blow to the one and a vital boost to the whole
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friends of Blair Peach Committee
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