BRITISH LEYLAND Vehicles workers have taken direct action to defend their jobs at both the Bathgate and Leyland plants over the last two weeks. Michael Edwardes' corporate plan will almost certainly result in the total closure of the Bathgate plant and the reduction of the workforce at Leyland in Lancashire by 6,000.
True to form, blame at the workers' door. Only drastic reductions of the workforce, he claims, will make BL viable. Speaking at a Scotland last Friday, Edwardes admitted that the future of the Bathgate plant 'hung in the balance', and that 'a long strike could mean a short future for the Leyland Vehicles plant in Lancashire.' the closure plans was to occupy the plant. Last Friday, after a one week sit-in, the company gained a court injunction against them. But an all out strike at the plant continues.
JIMMY SWAN is Bathgate. Last Saturday the Leyland Vehicle Combine Committee met in Preston and afterwards he spoke to PATRICK SIKORSKI from Socialist Challenge. 'Our position is that we are determined to retain Jobs and the manufacturing base in Leyland Vehicles. with this, the direction is Edwardes away towards complete closure of the Bathgate plant.
Support The meeting was very well attended delegations every Leyland plant in the Bus discussed the general situanon, cacuanged tion on our attitude to management's approaches for negotiations as well as ine distribution of financial support which is starand general solidarity.
Jimmy Swan went on to explain that the Lancashire workers were as determined as those Scotland light Edwardes. They face a situa tion where all parts will be hived ott to the private sector and only the assembly work would be done in the brand new Leyland assembly plant built in 1978 with E32m of public money.
Jimmy convinced that it has been the action taken by Leyland workers that has stopped the American company, International Tarvesters, literally in its tracks, trom investing in a diesel engine plane in opam Edwardes tries to lay the press conference in Bathgate workers' immediate response to works convenor at This plant was to have built some 80,000 diescl units, mainly for export, explained Jimmy. *The project is only viable if the STICKERTA collid CIEVE guaranteed supplying the demand gutted post-Edwardes" Plan Leyland assembly plant.
Part of this plan is to sell off the tractor division to the privately owned Marshalls Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Such has been Ment To Leyland that the ment in Leyland that Marshall company colours have already been paint spraying at Bathgate! But ment Vehicles (LV) owned given OSAL CHI the company has reckoned on the determination of the workforce to fight back.
Even the successful serving of an injunction on not demoralised them. As. MOOTHES QUE *The whole way that we occupied the plant and carried out the occupation in a very disciplined manner, massively bolstered the confidence of the workforce their own ability to organise. •We weren't surprised that the company went to the courts with inis tor government in office, the THE WORKS COMMITTEE is making its present demands in order to sustain employand retain Leyland publicly Picket lines at BL truck division, Leyland and Bathgate, Scotland.
They it measure Laurence Laurence Scott. We weren't surprised at the outcome of the court nearine at whicr of opposed the granting of the injunction.
We had to say enough is enough. I wouldn't say our action was the product of completely political awareness. As know we've had the Slydeside occupations the past. Lee Jeans has shown that it can be done and the whole town and community around Bathgate know that it is fightback or die Look happened to Linwood.
*We had a very suCcessful shop stewards' rally in support of our fight last week attended at very short notice by between manufacture in Leyland itself)
LV WEIC in + No transfer of work As pects of into public hands pillance for other and puts for is putting demands.
the works 200 and 300 stewards from the West Lothian region including convenors from Rolls Royce and other major factories. Meeting *Others came from as far away as Dundee and the Clyde shipbuilders would have ELESCE they had been more notice and local Trades Councils were *Plans are being laid for a major demonstration aimed at the Scottish Grand Committee meeting in mid-Feburary which has the Bathgate issue on the No more selling off of parts of The works committee is demanding "full information about the present financial position'. It also wants a parliamentary inquiry into all as management and mismanagement of L.V since it cam The works committee is very con scious of the need for Leyland to b support of habie bed industries.
It is cils, the of Department of Industry, Information about LV is therefore neither publici available nor publicly debated befor To save jobs the works committee the whole 8 or managemen did not carry out the proramme of renewal.... an envisaged by the 1975 Ryder Plan...
committee therefore agenda. We are planning a 307111. VILE the Pleased in Baligate. The 1s aso in Batheate stewards" meeting also called for financial support, levies and collections to be arranged.
Win 'At the Combine leve there are also moves to organise an all Leyland d that Vehicle understand that Convenor Jim Mclean 15 in contact with cars con venor Jack Adams. We are determined to win this demands immediate investment in a foundry and adequate invest ment in machine tools And it wants the government to provide funds fo investment at low rates of interest.
The works committee knows onl too well that it has to build suppor for its plans if Leyland workers are to successfully combat Edwardes. Suc can only be united action by all LV workers from all unions and every plant. But in th support of the while labout mil ment: the Labour Party, trades coun TUC, the Confederation o Shipbuilders and Engineering Union and Labour controlled councils.
The works committee has been putting its trade union alternatives lo work force over the las three months in a series of leaflets. A the last leaflet pointed out: There is alternative the disastrous policies of the Edwardes'