BMW workers at Cowley voted, by 769 votes to 726, to reject the new 'Mini' package on pay and conditions, even though their union negotiators had pushed for it strongly at meetings of the membership.
In this they joined a growing group of carworkers voting down productivity packages. Recent votes at Land Rover and Peugeot in Coventry show that workers are fed up with losing their personal lives to 'banking hours' 'week-end shifts' and other so-called flexibility.
Italco shows that if the unions organised opposition to these deals, which all mean job losses in the end, then not only would they get solid backing from their members, but there would be the basis of unity in the motor, and component, industries.
Instead the union officials are determined to fight for the deals and force them through. Minor changes were made at Peugeot, and at Land Rover the contentious 'banking hours' system is to be reviewed.
At Cowley union officials, and senior stewards did not even get any changes in the deal. Instead they exploited the fact that with the 'Mini' still being prepared very little work was taking place. So they went to a mass meeting and proposed a strike!
This of course was heavily defeated. But since when has the only choice been an all-out strike or nothing? The answer is only when the proposal comes from a union official, and when no production is taking place.
T&GWU official Ivor
Braggins stood out against opposition to the closure of the Cowley Assembly Plant when he was senior steward there, 10 years ago. Now he is back as the ofticial for the plant, and continuing in the same vein.
With strike action rejected, the next proposal was to have a re-ballot on the deal. This was of course heavily carried.
With this sort of leadership it was no surprise that the new vote was 1299 to 288 to accept the deal.
Senior cteward Bernard Moss called it a "minor blip".
The result of this second vote was announced on the January 25, and before the end of the month the company was using its new right to call workers in on banking hours with just 2 days notice, and saving themselves huge amounts of overtime pay. Andrew Wiard