'THIS ISSUE is a national one. There are two thousand jobs at stake and the whole future of bus and truck manufacturing in the UK.
'I want to know what the national union officials are going to do about this strike for jobs. I want to know what the Labour Party and the TUC are going to do about this issue!' That was the statement from Mick Coyne, chairperson of the Leyland strike committee in Lancashire, emerged from a morning of talks with Leyland Vehicles management and national union officials at Ine Cross Hotel, in London last Monday.
The talks were lobbied workers rom al rae nive Leyland and Chorley representing all the hourly paid and staff unions who have been on strike since 21 January.
The militant lobbyists greeted their convenor with a deatening wardes Tories Out!' and cheerer massively in front of the press Calliclas when ovne reboric Dack ol the first few hours of talks:
'Defend your right will be no sell out at Leyland Vehicles! There will be no sell out of the 1855 jobs which management want to get rid of this vear. I he issue todav at Leviand Vehicle. and nationally is the right to work!' The lobbyists were in a determined mood and were as unimpressed by the three van loads of police who turned up and attempted unsuccessfully to more them on as inev were Dy Board to shut down the whole of Leyland Vehicles unless the strike is ended this week.
A senior shop steward said that they were there 10 give full support 1o strike committee and to impress on the full time negotiators and the company Endinere was golng to be no turning back from the basic demands SUIIKC These are: no redundancies; no more oursourcing of components of work or hiving off and instead, the maintenance of the manufacturing base in Leyland Vehicles and finally, serious negotiations on the trade union alternatives.
However it's clear that Vehicles chairperson David and his team were under strict orders IrOm • Howardes Leyland Board who met Wednesday, to have no truck whatsoever with the union demands.
implemented production at and Ils niving when he then another 2,000.
Asked if Charing by chant of 'Edand TV to work! There the widely the . no iransier Leyland Andrews.
rest the week Edwardes and the Tories are determined that the Corporate Plan must be the last letter. This means the complete phasing out of tracBathgate in Scotland off to private manufacturers, and the reduction of the Lancashire operation to one assembly plant employing a maximum of 2,000 workers.
As Mick Coyne said after the talks: 'We've no democratic rights that lot upstairs are concerned. I thought the days of the Victorian employer who would hire and fire at will were gone.
'But it is clear that they will sack 2,000 now and 2,000 in a few months and The had any hope for the negotiations he replied: 'My hope is with the membership and the rest of the workLeyland mass meeting cheers strike on ing class movement. We can achieve our aims if the rest of the movement stands up to be counted. They've already closed Defend Jobs Support Leyland Vehicle Workers Smash the Tebbit Proposals Demonstration and Rally Saturday 27 February ASSEMBLE 12 noon Leyland Civic Centre, Leylalla. Lanils.
Speakers:
LV Leyland Strike Committee; Tam Dalyell MP West Lothian; LV Bathgate speaker Scotland.
Leyland Vehicles strike meant closure worker's home Bulletin ble in Leyland dancies has and the Tories.
Combine stewards Leyland. down Corby, Shotton, , Skelmersdale and the towns South Wales and This has got to stop complete closure unless the strike is called off, the union olncials were aircady caving in and running for cover. The AUEW responsibility lol Gerry Russell, could oniv respond to the bosses poston by saying that if the continuation of the then that would have to be reported back to the membership eyland workers have had the closure threat pushed down their throats for the last two weeks by the local and now the national press and television. The com.
sent unree hellers to every The threats and letters have been answered in the weekly Strike Committee which is distributed to striker and as many households as possiDefying the latest round of redun• meant the truck and bus workers confronting the Edwardes plan . To be successful they will have to mobilise the rest of the Leyland The Cars Combine leadership must be forced to implement the decisions of Vehicle. combine meeting held a week last Saturday. Most importantly the Leyland strike commit tee should take advantage as soon as possible of the decision of that meeting empowering them to call a meeting throughout whole of Lobbying Leyland Vehicles talks site is part of the management's drive for greatel productivity.
Over the last two years there has been a five to ten per cent increase ir productivity.
Now management to throw the workers on the SCal heap in order to transfer production to a modern plant at Birstwith near Socialist Challenge double threat THE 3,500 workers British Leyland Vehicles plant in Bathgate are standing firm against redundancy despite threats from BL Chair. man Michael Edwardes and JCB Bathgate plant's largest customers The strike committer continue strike on Wednesday February in the face of this double threat. Edwardes is inrealening close the Bathgate factory unless worktorce go back li work. And JCE the Staffordshire based cavator makers, who ger LOCU Bathgate - threatened is withdraw their orders if there was not a return to work at the factory by Fr day 12 February.
Leyland Vehicle management said that this would mean the loss of ar extra 200 iobs at Bathgalı But after the deadline has JCB annivulls. that they were orderir.g only half the engines the normally get Bathgate anothe supplier.
After the strike ic. mittee had decided io it tinue with the strike. my Swan, the stewards 'We are now going Monday's meetin BL managemen: tion of strength duolner WOLAC Socialist Challenge:
went fighting on our be slain on our knees Harrogate employing something like a third of the present numbers Unions in the Bristo and Avon area are being SUTINE Tune messages of support, ano send delegations Lucas picket line tion sheets can be obtain. Lucas or ones d Moravian Kingswood, Bristol Public rally Speakers Lowen Jones. Lucas conveno Tony Benn, MP for South East Bristol Phil Penning, Laurence Scott Linden Hotel, High Street Kingswood Called by the Lucas Strike Committee 18 February 1982 page d
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Bathgate workers stand firm after
Defend T Lucas-Kingswood strike against redundancies