By a Cowley carworker ROVER workers have voled by 11,000 to 9,200 to accept a six month pay freeze, followed by a 3.6 per cent increase in May and November 1993.
This outcome follows the successcials to persuade both the Rover Na. tonal Joint Necotiatino Comm seo and a delegate conference to recomit is the same story as the case of the Rover Tomorrow' package of new management techniques drawn up earter this year. An overhelming unte of the necotialors - oriy Two ol the 35 joint national committee members came cut against - just scrapes home in a ballot.
Sell-out
If there had been a call to reject the deal, there is no doubt it would have been wow our dy ai orerwimng margin. The union leaders have yet desin soppi we eorl dogument that workers should pay for the Skilled workers and team leaders will get £7 more than production workers. Stall have also been arven the guarantee that if they are move onto production they will maintain their grade for two years.
Bot these points are contentious oe oden vorr. in wre eno, uie lowest paid workers are the only ones who get nothing out of the deal Union chiefs suppress fighting strength of Rover workers Rover's Cowley, Oxford, plant is booming following a reduction in the workforce from 9,500 to just 4,000 chee the last tve yers. The Maes*c Montego and Rover 800 are currently in production, and a new model, the Synchro, will go into ful production at the start of 1993 Wast amounts ol overtime are ar ready being worked, yet the company expect the plant to virtually double production by July next yoar with no extra labour.
Instead they want complete flexiblity of labour, with every memsumne prcoucton tine jobs and the implementation of team wornefec, bosses are asking for al huge increase in productivity trom a freeze on top of an effective f7 aweek nav cur atter a bonus scheme stopped paying out eerlier this year.
Cowley workers are now the lowest paid carworkers in Europe, yer he company is stil expecting best ir class' productivity levels. ind thin bosses warn, is only the first stage.
Hostility
Rover management are stengthened in their offensive by the attitude of the union leadership. with the prevaling levels of shopfioor nosulty, i is omou to seo now uie can achiove the dramatic output inA recent Socialist Outlook leaffet for Cowiey workers challenged the compen's claims about its financial position, demanding it should open its The leaflet also argued that if Rover cannot provide jobs - and maintain wages - is should be renationalised without compensation. more than they can afford, they estroy jobs.
Between 1979 and 1991, over 100,000 employers were found to be co uncis rine. This is Wegat rates. This is illegal. Total number of prosecutions? All of 67.
Shephard goes on: 1 am glad Anti-Racist Alliance the bill' for every MP, and consideration of legal action. However half-hearted these efforts may seem, the TUC campaign can and should be linked o the defence of the many other groups of workers whose jobs are under threat.
Nationa Demonstra igh Against the Asylum Saturday 21 November Assemble: 12 noon, Hyde Park • Rally in Trafalgar Square Called by Refugees Ad Moc Committee for Asylum Rights and supported by the Anti-Racist Alliance • Further information from: ARA PO Box 2578, London, N5 1UF Tel. 071-607 3988. No. 32 21 Nov, 1992