140,000 ENGINEERS are already on the dole in the sprawling area of Shipley, Bradford and Leeds. Their industry has been ripped to shreds by Thatcher's monetarist madness, management incompetence and in part, national fight by the engineering union the AUEW.
Box, Shipley seized their plant which they have now occupied since 4 May to force the company of others. The bosses' move is seen as a East London and Toni Gorton visited the occupation and spoke to some of the activists. Here works convenor, describes the issues and what the sit-in hopes to achieve. A cupation.
METAL Box has been in Shipley since 1963. It's a major employer about 600 people. In the past iwo year umployess about employees through redundancy. This the first time that management have had a crack compulsory redundancy.
actual fact Metal Box's problems began when they entered into a cartel all aleccil America. Metal Box didn't anticipate the amount investment that would be put into it from America and this resulted in an over capacity in the canning market.
However are in machine-build ano the market still exists for this. sull Lne stared ars we've been of WOlK There's. been deliberate policy of cutting Shipley down size because we've been very strongly organised.
When all the Metal Box plants have been hit by job loss why has yours decided to fight back?
This lot of comthe lack of a to On the 22/23 May Frank Gorton, a RICHARD LEE, to continue the ocpulsory redundancies have ed everyone to think 'well enough's enough'. about time we resisted and fought back.' The thing that's changCOustEs anens matne redundancy exercise . is a charter for victimisation.
We've been well organised and been the negotiations tions.
It's this that's important for the company to break.
Do you think you were right in the first place to accept voluntary redundancies? The principle is the same... It means jobs gone out of the industry.
We're trying as best we can Lo uen oos oss did we recognise that even volunteers means job loss. Our azumcu ras occi man volunteer to give up his job anu is dall chouza lo dose then aren't going to argue or stoo him. in tact we can't stop him.
Ihe redundancy terms of the company are very good, three and half weeks pay per year of employment which is far in excess of the state scheme. People very seriously consider taking high payments and selling their jobs.
We've got enough on defending the jobs of peowith out arguing with stay WilO want Stay ple who want to go. But l accept that the trade union movcucHl and OULSCLVC are not saving jobs.
Do you think it's asking a lot for workers in the to take industrial action over Shipley when they haven't taken action over the job loss and factory on their own patch?
We have given pledges of support of action to others . ror example, the Crawley convenor was faced with the closure of the machine shop with 220 jobs to go.
We convened a special meeting in Lancashire and called the five factories in Metal Box together and took a decision that we would go on strike behalf Crawley.
That convenor turned around and said that if he wen back toms menoe that message that Iney u Hallg nim. They want the redundancy mOnCY The basic difference is that this is the first time anybody has shown a real willingness fight off redundancy.
Denis Allport, chairperson of Metal Box inspecting Richard Lee, secretary. Metal Box is part of a large national and international corporation with some 56 factory What are you asking of We're asking the Labour Party for both moral and tinancial support We've been doing very well with this up to now.
We've arranged have lobby of the shareholders meeting. number of labour controllca councus Have silarts Ill Metal Box, the GLC has something like 359,000.
We're asking them to ask plants in Jamaica and Trinidad. MB has investment HOURLY FAIL)
ONLY works convenor and combine give us the proxy.
We've asked the Labour MPs to give us financial support and to ask questions in the House of Commons, especially about the South African connection times like this lnar ever mae aroce org road political man suddenly realises that this big army of people are there and willing to give us a tremendous amount of help I think a lot of us have felt guilty about the way we've felt about plulos like the Socialist Workers in South Africa, Chile, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Singapore, Malaysia sites in Britain and operating in about 30 other countries.
Party. But its people like lls you nave to rely or and not just them but in the SLADOU Without them would have been really in the shtuck.
The have Coman tried to make SWP help inpolitical issue. The SWP has collected money, has given moral support ana aavice bur tne swr has never been involved inplant in the dispute.
Last week you picker ted the Metal Box headquarters in nedoing te and livelihoods.
Is wny after years of peaceful inaustriai relations tne men have decided that they have got to make a stand because in the long run it will save Joos We need to stop redundancies and if we don't it anu ar tavow movene evers se brc urcu.
toci arank Goron desyso normalor.
official collection sheet.
Metal Box plants exist in conec tor mre strike Contact the Joint Shop Mackin, renature Yorkshire, Tel 0274 59052 force the managemen back into talks. How dic that go?
While we stood there eight brand new Cavaliers were delivered for the management car pool. Most of the directors rolled up in registered autol dark green with a chauffeur driv The building itself is like a hotel. In the outbuildings they've got saullas swimming baths. tennis and squash courts You should have occupied that.
No I don't think so. It's just that you get the sense O ICSC CHECCLOSHaKs decisions about the lives of people and they bear no consequences for them They're just lording it all has been achieved on revenue from the plants. And although you know that the com director, Denis Allport gave himself a 9° £67,000 a ber cen ase lo year it isn't until you see it that it really strikes you how disgusting it all is. Wie expect to meet with them this Thursday.
will mean far greater job losses As there are no jobs left in W eN Yorkshire there nowhere else that the men can go for jobs so people a permanent financial pro • Get resolutions of support and donations, using the areas of the countr Sell Socialist Challenge outside to tell the MB story an na Westrte Ca, Stipey, West Steward Socialist Challenge - 28 May 1982 . page )
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compulsory redundancy notices three shop stewards among a number
direct threat to union organisation. shop steward at Metal Box, Hackney in
mass meeting on Sunday 23 May voted overwhelmingly
350 engineering workers at Metal to withdraw its
What you can do • A London tour is scheduled to begin on 1 June
will face years and years on the dole - and that will be
blem. Anda al lamet saren oreni ie t rea. lease ries