THE SACKING of the 13 workers at the BL Cowle Assembly plant is a major attack on the rights of al workers. PAT HICKEY explains.
union freedoms and at weakening the shop stewards organisations.
attack the links between the Labour Party and the unions and to cripple the ability of unions to defend their members on the shop bosses are in the forefront of the employers offensive.
In 1979 BL sacked Derek Robinson tor openly disagreeing with the Edof blall redundancies speed-ups. This opened the door for a series of victimisations and attacks on shop stewards organisations right across the country in the wake OI first election victory.
In 1980 BL sacked 6 left wing shop stewards for Last year Alan Thornett was sacked on the flimsiest of pretexts.
In every case the sackings were carried out in the context of a wave of press attacks against the tremists'.
The tions represent both a conunuanon and a stepping up of the campaign by BL RouTe chublovels smash up rank and file organisation Lauc in industry.
They were made at critical time for management. Despite repeatea alacks on snop floor organisation, COwICy WORKCIN showed that they were ready to fight management through the 4½ week washing up Management WELC taken completely by surprise. They had thought that the failure of the trade leadership to rally and fight the sacking of Other press ahead unimpeded with the tightening up of the proBut the so-called workforce' 4CCI recruited to the Maestro line in the plant were organising to defend themselves. Among the 13 sacked were 4 who were elected as part of a number or new stewards Maestro line.
In particular a number of women workers had come to the fore as willing build the organisation in the plant.
It was in unis context that management felt they bad to act. Evidence their intent is contained in the report management/union team & up to invesugate int situation in the plant in the ziterman or une washllig up strike.
The management compained against the workforce: 'The structure and the »ay it operates in the plant not alou TOI communication to employees, or represenof their views. The does по:
inese a a unified muitiand there are the some oi "ork agains:
-::.-The attack is aimed at further reducing trade It forms part of Norman Tebbit's proposals to floor. Yet again BL also shows that the trade representatives on the Transport and General une team. Bill Lapworth, Workers South Midland Divisional Officer, and Bill Jordan, the Amalgamated of Workers Engineering Divisional Organiser in the West Midlands, were prepared to make concessions to the company an their complaints.
The report goes on to tHat should be an urgent review of the trade union structure in the plant to resolve the problems identified in our finding above reinforce effective unionism in the plant.' What is meant by 'effective trade unionism' is left in no doubt in a finding responding to a complaint from the work force employees to work unreasonably hard' The finding states that "The team is no doubt that Cowley needs to be internationally competitive and this must be understood by employees at all levels, and LOS • Will COntinuous efficiency and procucuvity lotovecs.
But the management couldn't wait. hev went the offensive against those the Didill. stewards otherwise, whose political views were 'incompatible with constitutional unionism.
They intend to follow the sacking DICOCTIL through with further victimisations and the wholesale reorganisation ot the SHOD SEcwarub They aim to have tewer stewards, less accountable and representative to the members, more susceptible to company pressure.
The company is also keen to gain The meal veto the election of shop like. This is of course a necessary preliminary for an attack on the whole work force, to jack up productivity further worsen conditions in Leyland work places.
The sacking of the 13 workers at Cowley on the same type of pretext used kobinson shoenetime came at the that. the sallic ing the next major offensive against the workforce The tactics of the BL management copied faithfully by other employers.
During the two-month long strike at the Financial Times. John Mckay hand man to Sir Michael Edwardes, was Red as the eminence :: =00 :n2: the =E=-i: the other 12 people sacked at Cowley.
conspiring to destroy the unions.
COMPLAINT 9 The Trade adequate body, FINDINGS 2 The senior the stewards deputies dud been effectively SLODDed majority of problems should be resolved.
The two sections Beechad Level represent Where his members settlement Unlon structure in the plant.
The Unloa Date CRy methous car fronted and defeated The BL :== 2: 0-1 Above: Stephanie Grant at a press conference organised by Socialist Action on Monday 15 August. Stephanie slammed the press/management campaign being waged against her and Later on that night she appeared on the BBC current affairs programme Newsnight. She rold interviewer Peter Snow, 'I wasn't part of a conspiracy, it is British Leyland who are Below: a passage from the joint union management inquiry into the 4½ week washing up late to all ed he 0- 12 operated do structure Internal Trade Union organisation of the stewards work against constitutional trade unfonism in the plant. clear signs that cherate does not organtsation 1n deputies both of designated areas Che effective communication, attacks scare the unions are : a addition to Tebbit's destroy the members :CO: i thir political views a unified of some allowed steward level, the level at which the then problems haga absence of joint of responsibility shop stewards the speedy all those concerned with civil liberties then the employers will have the green light for fresh attacks of these kinds.
It will be the first step in confronting the real conspiracy that of the Tories and the employers against workers' hard-won rights. The following statement was releaser by the Socialist Leurne (British section of the Fourth Internationali al 5.00pm on Monda! 15 August.
BRITISH LEYLAND is a company with long record of sacking WOrKer. for their activities. The Derek Robinson Alan Thornett. senior deputy shop stewards the Longbridge Cowles car plants are the most well known examples of such victimisation.
No one believes that Robinson Thornett were sacked for technical cha They made against them. were wicumiser Pis and de trides. And and activities. lee are peer numerous other less publicised sackings.
BI. is lying when it says i dope not drmi worker grounds that it would hire worker spile record or socialist beliefs. Methods of political vicattalio are systematic in Bl. and large • British companie».
simply. sachi prevent people from gaining employment for reasons siens or trade «non aculates was dista like most large com panies. operate a system of does it employ organisation• 1o check Int DOC? hackgrounds of its workers or those applying for jobs!
The of such methods in linown to all unions and industrial relaand the press: if BI denies this slate of attairs il is merel! falsifying its «wn. other companies", practices.
The facts are obrious. The BI. manasement ha not one single complaint against the work record of the thirteen dismissed dur ing ine were al Coules. Everyone knows that the compan!
ayainst the thirteen if thes were not suspected of har. ing strong socialist vien».
The real facts of the BI Cane vet were stated Time August 1983. 'BL. has been careful to stress officially the constitutionality of effect however its central con.
cern was their suspected revolutionary attiliations Accusations › are merc timise people unpl political and trade union views in the first place no-one at all would bother to hide their views from the nanagemen BL in fact operates han on recruit ment to the company that is the reason for the sackings. Accepting sacking of the thirteen workers in Cowley is to accept the right managements to operate ment. supervise the political views of workers. and to pracuce viceunisa tion for political and trade union activities It should be opposed as such by ine labour move the and all those concerned in detenain: rights.
The sackings should also hy the women's movement who will have seen the way in which the press particularly singled out for at1acı women wOrKCE. Cowley.
While paradiny women's bodies like meat on their inside pages The Sun, papers. particularly em phasise for attack women seeking 10 'reserved" for men.
The Socialist League will supports. tinue to support. all atlempts Di women to gain jobs on a basis of equality with men The • charge that any.
filtrating the trade union. is a conscious invention by the press Worker. going on lose pounds of their income and risk their jobs. The! will not strike unless propelled to do so hi deep Scalell grievances against the The ill.
BI ment. nol ali al which leads worker strikino in Bi o in any other company.
As far the inons tre concerned t Socialist League has and will defend the right of all workers. whaleren In stand the trade unions elect whoever the! wish as their union representatives. We would defend in just strong! for and members of a trade union whaterer their political views.
stated mortalion, or not ine press and the Conservative Party in their witch hun shake in the sacking or th 13 Cowler workers The press conscious!!
tha with political views they disagree with should be excluded from emplos ment in major companies and factories. They open!!
justify political victimisa tions and exclusions Leveson on thirteen workers Cowley should be opposed union and women's movement as an attempe by the Comor enIOrCt political ban on recruitment and on employment systematic exclusions from employment. and use vl panies is continued and strengthened there will be " urner maor eroson di the many sirest dried man! already carried 0) 1 governmen the and the BL management.
Socialist Action 18 August 1983
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Trade undeed bey to plane. the print unions in the F
in January 1982. Unlons operate separately
results in a less novement at a sentor level in the
I': operates does not allow for of their views.
in deputase used to relude 28a1 lea senior stewards. to handle all problems personally.
so that la general on production a shop steward will
than authoritative Trade plant does not operate
Socialist League statement
clearly states