Ford's 54,000 manual workers voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action from Although two small in Southampton voted to accept this, the the mOod glant Dagenham and Halewood plants was militant and enthusiastic. 'Raring to go,' was how Halewood body plant steward, Jimmy Atkinson, described the mood of the Merseyside workers. And Dagenham even the radio news admitted that the ondiscussion about the strike was whether inere naa been yo or yy per cent in favour.
The size of the strike vote, although not the outcome, surprised many stewards allu shook the company. has been scrabbling around for any old excuse to explain away. First of all, Ford accused the Halewood sewards of 'stampeding' the vote by holding their meetings other Then, after the Dagenham votes, the company cancer LIE inions had 'misled' -ambers about what the after meant.
In fact, a leaflet issued by the trade union side of the rora National Joint Negotiating Committee spelt it out very cleaniy. I return for a money offer, 4 per cent below the current level of inflation and that was before the miniand twelve off the working Hillules day in 1983, the company were demanding unconditional acceptance of: 1. An end to any demarcation between jobs and grades 2. An acceptance of any new work system devised by company 3. An end to ALL local agreements which Ford thinks are inefficient mobility of "OLdI labour.
The trade unions emphasise that this slaves' Charlei. alc lut vave lc quirements. Every clause will be implemented by the company and will affect all grades of Ford workers.
As Socialist Challenge has stressed in recent weeks, choice lacing Ford workers was not between wall and bcacc.IL Was between an all-out strike Dagenham Assembly Plant now to smash Ford's efficiency demands and win the f20/35-hours claim, or never enaing surikes and lay-offs as Ford implemented efficiency plans section by section, plant oy plant.
The company is now determined to play it hard. No further negotiations are scheduled and Ford announced on December that It Will be locking the workers out on Monday 4 January. This is the day before the strike begins and normally the qualifying shift for pay ment for the three bank nondays over une Xmas break. At the time of PrOTO made it clear whether they intend to pay these.
Ford workers will have to be equally determined and organised will Around the clock picketing of plants, docks and depots needs to be organised from day one of the strike with all workers involved pIckeling rotas. And the size of these pickels and wicle incy dic By she needed make nee the need to make ine strike effective, not the Tories' anti-union law Contractors working in plants to prepare them for new car models must be removed. And the support of other workers won through surancis and delegations IO factories, trade union and Labour raly branches rancial effort needs to be made with other workers like the miners, who may be going into struggle agamst the Tory attack on jobs and To get this level of involvement, Ford workers should have every opportunity through regular steward, trade branch and mass meetings to find out what is happening That means no more talks between top otticials in the company, and all negotiations beins conducted through the full national negotiating combacks afterwards. After the experience of Leyland, Terry Duffy and Moss Evans have to be told very firmly to keep their noses out of Ford By building on the um demonstrated in the strike vote, and by winning the support of other show that they have the power to win
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Tuesday 5 January in response to the com- pany's offer of 7.5 per cent with strings.