recognised this as obstacle to his rationalisation plans.
Stewards In Rover Solihull we had about shop stewards for every members. Most plants had a full-time plant committee, consisting of convenor, deputy and six to seven senior stewards.
The basis of the shop stewards power were the 'mutuality agreements which made management to reach a agreement stewards and SIOu besfore changing labour levels and track speeds. The result was a constant running battle with management.
'On one particular day, 30, with Bathgate on strike, I analysed the figures and found that out of 13 major interruptions to production, 12 involved a total of only 160 people out of a total workforce of 190,000. Fewer Inan l per employees were causing widespread disruption damage business, flying in the face not just of management, •Ul their unions.
From this he developed his tactics for dealing with the unions:
"There was no doubt in my mind that responsible union leaders would welcome a positive strategy from BL management, provided it emerged in the form of action rather than an explicit statement of what we intended.' In other words, management was going to deal with the strength of the TALK and file by using the bureaucracy against the members. It was to prove an effective strategy:
"There was a large and effective group of shop stewards - and the the central for the sections August should be...
only and better managers. cent of LO the time OWI unveiled voted Significantly, ordinary conditions. management had let them get the real power. What happened in BL over the five years is that management regained initiative and the employees as a whole followed management. That is how it We have to have stronger He got off to a flying start. On 1 February 1978, three months after he arrived at BL, a meeting of 720 fullofficials and senior stewards gave him a standing ovation when he corporate plan. 12,500 jobs to be axed. The company Tys Pete vote on its persist.
voted against.
Derek Robinson was the one of those who supported the plan at that meeting. The first fruit of that meeting was the closure of Speke No By any standards it was an extrameeting. senior representatives of the best organised workfotee in the country voting in favour of an attack on jobs, pay and Showed a crucial Harold Musgrove (Chairman and Chief Executive) and Geoff Armstrong (Personnel) — Edwardes' heirs.
weakness at the level of the shop stewards.
In the previous three years since BL had been taken into public ownership, senior stewards had beer drawn into the participation structures set up after the recommendations of the Ryder Report to 'Save BL'. This had meant the stewards involved cutbacks acet changes in working practises to make BL competitive.
Strategy Robinson and the CP had been foremost advocates of which had meant workers stralegy, representatives been 'given more in formation about their company so that they can better managements problems operate more constructively in solving these problems.' (Ryder Report)
When Edwardes arrived participation had begun to eat into the shop stewards organisations. One result was that the combine committee all but disappeared.
company-wide bargaining, and Edwardes dealing with the company as a whole in his corporate plans the initiative passed on to national officials. The rank and file had no effective company wide leadership which could credible Edwardes was the Labour leadership. He was pushing at an open door. The Labour dove me vee pank col to attack the workforce. In a discusthis sion with Prime Callaghan on the closure the transfer Callaghan said: your new Board will always act in a appreciate co- basis the TR7 should be scrapped and businesslike way not transferred elsewhere?' similar / line. government they
Future! Socialist Action 29 April 1983 the four years since Thatcher came into office.
the Engineers 11,000 shipbuilding jobs in the next 18 months.
This would wipe out THE SCOTTISH TUC met in Rothesay against the background of doubled unemployment figures in Delegates were further stunned by a report of Chris Finnerty, national officer for shipbuilding of and Managers Association. To the dole heap of 350,000 Scottish workers may be added which Transport union threaten ed to withdraw support if this remained, Clausc made.
Clot ellist Wa.
This leaves the danger of policy being slip. ped in through the back door When moving the resolution Campbell for the sacrifices explaining 'People lucky enough to hold jobs under a Conservative government will nave to assist us in coming to the aid of the poor first'.
In the incomes policy George Bolton turned these arguments. should