FORDS A firm line in 1997: now Ford workers must again give a lead in defending jobs A BMW worker CAR WORKERS all over Britain are facing an offensive. Key to this is Fords Dagenham, where car production is due to be ended. The company has refused to back down from closure, all they are offering is a few extra engine production jobs.
In the тасе _of this onslaught, the official union position is to call a mass meeting on the November 15, and issue strike ballot papers the same day.
But what is their strategy for action, and which workers will they involve?
If they only intend to have one day strikes, then this over ne would obviously be a completely inadequate response to the scale of the attack. Their model is already produced in Germany, and it would be quite easy to produce extra there.
If they also intend to involve engine plant workers at Dagenham, then the prob- the lem is that engines are also produced at Bridgend, and at Valencia in Spain. These losses would not be so easy to cover ,and this shows it is important to involve the whole site.
Dagenham must not be left to fight in isolation.
The announcement that Dagen-ham was no longer going to share the production of the new Fiesta with Cologne should have led to the calling of a meeting of representatives from all Fords European plants, especially as the package involved Valencia losing jobs to Dagenham. pation, Inctear Woodley dem. anded that those that buy the cars should produce them, which considering the British motor industry produces about as many cars overall as it buys, seems even more ridiculous than 1t would otherwise be.
Then he argued that Dagenham produce the new Volvo, and not Ghent in Belgium. Did he discuss this with any of the European representatives? Are slogans cut in break time. like this likely to build international support?
At the same time all Fords' plants in the UK are in some way another under threat. So rather than just talking, all the unions should hold ballots at all these component plants. Inis woula nave a major effect on European-wide proauction.
Jaguar workers have just to their rejected a 2 year deal negotiated by Woodley: is there related pay scheme. any chance of a link up here, as Jaguar is owned by Ford?
Ford have also recently produce the new Mini. bought Land Rover, where there is tremendous anger banking hours scheme. The recent wage den there would have been thrown out if Woodley had not been able to manoeuvre sucessfully. up to 300 each way.
Determined to prevent a strike that could connect up with Dagenham, he negotiated a 3 month suspension of scheme TOT banking hours, at the same time as settling the pay review. working week.
Dagenham workers must not allow the company to pick their time to stop car allowances than production: they should vote bridge, for action in the union ballot, but they should also demand the involvement of performance the other UK plants, and call for meetings of European Ford workers.
Individual shop stewards and other representatives of ing hours system Ford workers should meet Car workers wherever possible to discuss such a policy, but this will only be effective if an all-out strike, or preferably an occu- Sunderland.
Taked place at Dagenham.
Meanwhile, like the Land Rover workers, the remaining workers from the Rover debacle earlier in the year are Tions that paying for the splitting up of the company. nationalised.
At Longbridge the unions have negotiated an agree- shifts are ment that is about to be put to the workforce which represents a massive attack on conditions. The working week would increase from 35 TonI Darren Williams The General Secretary election for the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), the TUC's eighth-biggest affiliate, with 260,000 members, is underway with two contestants. With one candidate a rank-and-file militant, and the other a Blairite full-time official, the contest couldn't be a clearer representation of the choices facing the labour movement. The election is the first since PCS was created in March 1998. The new union's rulebook, allowed Barry Reamsbottom and John Sheldon, the top officials of hours to 37, with a one third CPSA and PTC respectively, to Fact as joint general secretaries. Sick pay would be reduced Neither was obliged to stand from 100% to 75%, and there for re-election, since each was would be an average loss of within five years of retirement. 5% in shift allowances. For Two years of working with the all this they would get a 6.5% autocratic Reamsbottom, howincrease in basic pay. The ever, convinced Sheldon's workers will lose far more 'Membership First' group that than they gain, and the com- he shouldn't be allowed to run pany has given notice that it the union single-handed after wants further discussions on their own leader's retirement the banking hours scheme ( this year. Consequently, they advantage, obvi- worked with the left against ously) and on a performance Reamsbottom's Moderates, to bring the election forward Meanwhile Cowley is now a three years. BMW plant, gearing up to Reamsbottom launched a legal challenge to this, while Here BMW has proposed simultaneously gearing up for the most draconian changes an election battle with of all. Negotiations have yet Membership First's Hugh to take place, but company Lanning. Assistant General proposals involve a return to Secretary Lanning is as much a the 37 hour week and a huge part of the bureaucracy as his increase in banking hours, opponent. His faction governed PCS in coalition with the This will involve workers Moderates until they fell out working a 46 hour week this year - and both groups whenever management want, were equally committed to for 37 hours pay. The com- 'social partnership'. pany only has to give 2 days Despite this, Lanning mannotice of changes in the aged to secure the endorsement of the 'official' left within They propose even more the union. The backing of the drastic reductions in shift Stalinist-led ex-PTC Unity at Long- group was no surprise, but a with Saturday more significant blow was the becoming part of the normal decision of Left Unity, a broad week, total flexibility, and a grouping of most of the related pay authentic left, to do likewise. scheme. They also want a Left Unity argued that they didreduction in overtime pay, n't want to split the antialthough it is hard to see any Reamsbottom vote. Lanning being worked with the bank- was supportable, they said, because, despite his politics, he are being would work with other facdriven to fight each other: tions and would not seek to even Nissan has just intro- override democratic decisions, duced a new shift system in as Reamshottom has done The crucial factor in this Left The Ford workers could Unity decision, agreed by a lead the way to unity for bet- narrow margin, was undoubtter working conditions. If edly the position of the the companies cannot pro- Socialist Party (SP), the biggest vide car workers with condi- left organisation in PCS. Having give a decent run CPSA, through the Broad lifestyle then they should be Left, intermittently during the 1980s, the SP (then Militant)
It is clear that the longer was able to appoint a number increasing the of its members as full-time offioverproduction of cars so car cials. It seems that their preferworkers should unite and ence for working with Lanning help to develop a plan for rather than Reamsbottom was alternative useful produc- a key consideration - a sad reflection of the SP's willingness to put machine-politics before principles. Left Unity colluded with Membership First to ensure that fifty branch nominations would be required to secure inclusion on the ballot-paper -in order exclude an independent. Despite this, Mark Serwotka. currently secretary of the Sheffield Benefits Agency branch, came forward with the support of the Socialist Caucus, the SWP and various independents. Ironically, Serwotka easily won fifty nominations while Reamsbottom did not. He has now dropped out of the election, agreed to drop his legal action, and to take early retirement in eighteen months, in exchange for being allowed to remain in post until then (albeit handing over key duties to his successor). Had Serwotka not stood, Lanning would have been elected unopposed. Yet, despite the fact that they would have allowed a Blairite to take over without a fight, Left Unity continue to criticise Serwotka, saying that the absence of a contest would have allowed them to press for a new election. Quite how they think they would have achieved this is a mystery. Nevertheless, the Left Unity officers have now, at least, half-heartedly thrown their weight behind Serwotka:
The contest is an unequal one. Lanning has the entire machinery of the union at his disposal and probably the majority of the NEC. The Moderates are almost certain to put aside their animosity towards Lanning to unite against Serwotka. Probably most branch activists will support Serwotka, but they will need to work hard to get the vote out.
The stakes are high. Lanning represents the legacy of the past twenty years: the capitulation of union leaderships to a Government offensive. The workforce was reduced by 250,000 between 1979 and 1997, through cuts and privatisation. National collective bargaining was abolished and a pay freeze and performance-related pay introduced. Yet 'new realist' officials refused to mobilise the membership; and silenced critics by undermining democracy.
The situation has become even worse since New Labour's election. Tory policies of breaking up and commercialising the civil service have continued. A further 20,000 jobs had been lost within two years of the election - more than 8,000 to the private sector. And the union leadership's attitude has become even more craven. Under the Tories, officials at least paid lip service to opposition, but now criticism of government policy is almost non-existent, as they assert their unanimity with Blair on the need for partnership between employers and workers. Mark Serwotka represents a real political alternative. An activist for twenty years, he is a militant socialist who has led strikes in every branch he has been in. He has pledged to lead a campaign against low pay, for the abolition of PRP, for a new minimum wage of least the European Decency and for all members to reach their grade maximum within five years. He will fight privatisation, oppose 'partnership' and ensure that members facing attack by management are given full support and representation, including legal representation at Employment Tribunals. Moreover, he will refuse the £70,000 pa General Secretary salary, and accept a wage linked to that of PCS's low-paid members.
If Serwotka were to win, it would represent perhaps the biggest defeat for New Labour and social partnership in the trade union movement so far. It is vital that activists work to deliver this result.
Protest at Leader of Hackney Labour Group's surgery over cuts, 7pm, Hawkersley Court Community Centre, Albion Road, London N16 Nov 15 Student demo: Grants not Fees 11.30 Malet St Nov 23 Public meeting with Serbian trade unionist Dragomir Olujic. Conway Hall. Red Lion Square, London, 7.00pm Nov 30 Birmingham Socialist Outlook Palestine forum Dec 2-3 European Marches conference - Paris Dec 6-7 Nice demonstrations Dec • Socialist Campaign Group Network conference, Kingsway Princeton Sidmouth St. London 10.305pm • UNISON CFDU National Conference, ULU, Malet St, 10.30 am Details from Glen Kelly, 37 Linale House, NI TQH
Outlook 1.