His view was echoed by fel.
low Blairite Roger Lyons of the white collar union MSE who declared that "We are particularly pleased about he future job security that this agreement will bring for all our members.
This type of conhas taken place in a Dutch auction jobs and conditions in plants all over Europe, leading to huge increases in productivity and the a massive extension of antiocial shifts. Each plant hat been able to produce much more - and one consequence of this is the growth of so -called "over capacity" in the industry •OORl scale. Now the chickens are The Rover-BMW fiasco is also part of a fundamental crisis facing British-based mantacturing industry The current strength of the pound against the uro cornerstone Gordon Brown's economic policy - means that British plants are the weak link in a growing drive towards the rationalisation of production| across Europe, driven on by the logic of the BU single market.
Manufacturing industry Winstn sces no utre remaining outside the Euro zone, and has been operating under the assumption that New Labour were keen to get into the Euro zone as soon as politically possible. The big firms thought this would be soon dier tac next ciceuon, following a referendum.
Bur things have changed. The anti-Europe xenophobia whipped up around British beef seckers, with the full support and involvement of the governincreased reactionary opposition to the Euro - to a point where no SCOOT one knows when Britain is likely to join the Euro zone be a referendum.
Manufacturing companies, CESURE components, are not prepared to wait any longer They cither want to concentrate their production outstac or borope aitorcinee taking advantage of the highest levels ol productivity avatoe ateranonaly or they want to be inside the Euro zone.
R over is just the first of a series of shocks to come. The Ford plant at Dagenham. which has been run down to a single model on a single shift is no lonker vladie under the conditions of today's car Urgent talks are going on between Ford and the govand the loss of U88OIES for its future. This follows curbacks and redundancies at other tyre making plants in the Midlands And finally there is the question in all this as to and humiliated BMW will survive once it has got rid of its UK plants. The vultures are already circunkTo what are the gorS Cemment doing in all Absolutely nothing. New Labour is going all the way with today's global market. "There's nothing we can do," they say. only the government: thesc are multi-national corporations we are dealing with".
They have to be confronted with the demand for nationalisation - which is allowable under EU rules is not allowable under EU rules of course is for the government to put workers" jobs. into these the Cohanc money necessary to regenerate them after the ravages of their period in the private Far from saving jobs, years ot concession bargainine by the unions bas helped to pave the way to more plant ment the job losses.
The only answer for Rover and Ford workers faced with increasingly aggressive employer is a fight to oppose The demand must be that just as the workers have been DOCT O Seko toe cone cessions negotiated on their behalf by the unions, BMW must suck Dy tac deal thes jobs for micahs Chat BMW must build a replacement for of action. the 2 & 4) at Longbride and a new car at Cowley: similarly Fords should fulfil to bulld lhe new Fiesta at Dagenham. If these companict refuse to do this, then they should be nationalised, alongside the componculs mausty, witn out compensation.
A Rover worker 0,000 jobs are at risk in the West Midlands motor industry, with more at stake in Swindon & Cowley 50,000 more coula face the axe in East London.
This is the greatest blow to workers in Britain since the 1992 pit closures. The huge job losses are also a massive blow to union organisa. tion. They would leave just Two General Motors plants. Chrysler's assembly plant, ar business….. are nil."
ind the remnants of Ford as he only property unionised car plants in the UK When 400 Rover shop ade tor those who wil, stewards met at Gaydon last Tuesday, they rightly voted focus for supporting action.
it would also point the way company together. This was forward for Dagenham worka unanimous vote, despite ers. the fact that in Solihull and Of course it is difficult for Cowley some workers feel Tony Woodley to argue for that their plants might have is. He nas consistent a future. It was explained shied away from any fight that nobody could trust Ford with BMW. At every moment of crisis, he has argued for workers to make more conThe problem is that although there appears to This is aiso one of the rea. be a 6 week leeway before sons why respect is not high has not proven to be the But if he and other union case. Workers are already officers don't act soon, then being laid off, and plans are the car industry will go the being worked up to imple- way of the coal mines.
Ihe first step must be action by the workforce: and called a national demonstra- then, on the basis of this tion in Birmingham. But apart from this and desper- appeal to the BMW unions. ate appeals to BMW, and Sore questions certainly other employers, they have need to be asked about the made no call for action. vay the lionk with BMW has Te TGWU chief negotiator come under the same form at Gaydon echoed the European Works Council: views of most shop floor what has happened to this? spcarers, calling Tor Rover Why weren't Rover workers to be nationalised - but told what was happening by even this demand is not the IG Metall representatives being pushed with any form who sit on the BMW board?
Obviously Rover workers congorage shouid nove can't expect much support been the immediate focus from these union bureauof action. Occupation of that plant would not only stop BMW plants themseles? BMW's plan being imple- Ater all if BMW can do this to Longbridge why not encourage component work- Munich? ers whose jobs are at risk to At the time of the takeoer, Bmw said thai other threatened workers a they needed Rover for the Ting Woodley now appears to-have given up on am they have done is criticise the company for the wav it camed out its decision. Now they are best of friends again.
The next demonstration should be outside Downing ovoet comanoing tre comThe TUC, , too, has done littie other than talk about changing the law so that so quickly. No major company is going to fear this Only if the unions fight back - hard - will the employers be forced to think twice.
Both the government and the TUC have been peddling the need for greater flexibil ing. This devastation is the Greater productivity, and antisocial hours mean gedier uso or machinery and speed up factory ciosures. We cannot walt. Inactivity only allows the media to lull workers in to believing they nave no choice End Concession bargaining Ficht to delend jobs! Occupy Longbridge now! Nationalise Rover and Ford