SOLD AGAIN! This will be the reaction of most BL workers to the ending of the Cowley The overwhelming vote to return to work at the Cowley mass meeting came as no surprise.
Only three days atter voting by more than 2 to 1 to carry on striking and to resist management's threat of the sack, the workers felt that they had little choice but to accept the deal put forward by the trade union leaders.
The deal gives them nothing in return for the five week strike. They are committed to giving BL productivity measures needed introduce Audited Plant Status (APS).
This is the final turn of productivity means that not another drop of sweat can be wrung from the workforce. This will include 'bell to bell' running, ie., cading the three minute rashing-up period. The measures will be introduced by the end of May, when there will be a national meeting between union and management, 'resolve vulstall MARESTRO SEL ding problems.
This meeting will also take the results of a joint union/management inquiry into industrial relations Cowley. Apparently, the leaders of the T&GWU and the AUEW (3.5 million members between them) need this understand why the strike happened.
AI Ine Holiday Inn where the deal was cooked up a waitress commenteu that she was unable to tell the difference between the bosses and the union men suits looked the Unfortunatel it's not only the suits.
Throughout BL the Cowley strike was seen as the big test for the unions. This was the first fight wack agalst productivity in BL for two years. It was the longest Cowley since the early 70s.
Reports from other BL showed had management carried out ine sackings unere would have been widespread support for the workers.
This is a bad defeat for BL workers. But Cowley has proved that the unions are not broken in BL. The burning question remains that of forging ship capable of dealing with the labour traitors.
Michael Edwardes reviewed - see page 13.