DEREK was.
Britain's second largest Leyland's Longbridge complex. une chairperson of the Committee, company-wide stewards organisation, and he represented the unions on the joint Cars Council, set up under Lord Ryder to integrate the shopfloor into the BL management decision-making processes.
On 19 November last year he was sacked: The reason given was that he had signed a pamphlet arguing against the 'Edwardes Plan' to sack 25,000 BL workers.
Sir Michael Edwardes has been chairperson of BL for just two years. For these two years .. supported by the last Labour which gave him a knighthood for his services -Hdwardes has tried to reduce the total number of BL workers and to raise the levels of productivity. He successfully closed the Speake Liverpool, redundancies in 18 months, and imposed speedun on the lines.
Alternative Edwardes sacked Robinson ballot on the company. unions his 'Survival Plan' received a massive 72 per cent majority. there was a big difference between getting this vote and actually implementing the plan and knew the main opposition would come from the shop stewards.
After the stewards' withdrawal from the participation scheme and rejection of a 5 per cent pay deal, the scene was being set for a confrontation. The course that Edwardes took was to use his success in the ballot to isolate the stewards. The sacking of Robinson stunned the Clue Ilyale.
Edwardes' gamble was that he would get the support of the union leaders, who backed his plan, and with the encouragement of the Tories would be able to weather the storm that erupted after the sacking. He was proved right Terry Duffy, president of the engineering union of which Robinson was a member, refused to make the strike official after talks with BL management. Rather than spontaneous strike action that erupted the AUEW executive set up a union inquiry' to investigate Robinson. leaders, as well as the BL bosses, saw him as a threat.
government, forced 20,000 after the future of the With no alternative from the trade Edwardes still realised that when supporting the *court of The union AUEW as saying: "If they AUEW leaders sold passed a that the most all-out strikes throughout very right-wing leadership, but it still has one of the most democratic constitutions in the trade union movement. The fesponse of many active members has been to sacking of Boyd, Duffy, and the rest of the national executive.
The Birmingham Northfield Branch of the AUEW, which has a majority of BL workers, calling for an immediate ballot, under Rule 15 Para S, to re-elect the entire executive after their handling. dispute. Only 10 per cent of the 2,600 AUEW branches need to support this motion to force through the ballot. The Northfield motion sets a basis for a massive campaign against the right-wing leadership. With the Robinson sellout so clear, the left in the union are in an idea position to gain support for an alternative to of AUEW members. demand the Alliance Boyd and Duffy that would defend the interests Derek Robinson is also a leading member of the CP, and a supporter of the AUEW Broad Left. This is the largest grouping within the union, consisting of an alliance Labour 'lefts' and the CP. The 'Rule 15 campaign first received support from the Broad Left and the Morning Star. But to have a ballot success you need a credible alternative. last four years the Broad Left had been in political crisis, and its reputation for militancy has been severely tarnished.
Hugh Scanlon, whom the Broad Left placed in power as president, is now Lord Scanlon — a government's pay policy.
now they are in the House of Lords. Censure the executive.
Left campaign presidential election next November.
• of Robinson.
members.
possible to get The January every militant shop steward. reward for his efforts in supporting the Labour The CP-dominated • Broad Left cannot break with the 'lefts', even With no alternative to offer the CP have retreated from the campaign for a ballot to re-elect the executive and the campaign has disappeared from the pages of the Morning Star. Instead they want motions of support for the reinstatement of Robinson and censuring Leading CP members. now openly argue that any ballot would result in a defeat for the left, and would weaken the Broad for Bob Wright in the The lack of any credible alternative to Duffy and Boyd will set the seal on the sacking The CP could have organised a campaign to defend Robinson, starting the active involvement of thousands of AUEW The issue was so clearly one of victimisation that even the Broad Left could The Northfield resolution received wide support throughout the union, and it is still an effective campaign for Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions conference on 26 provides us with an opportunity to demand the organisation of such a campaign. The BL workforce is far from being smashed -Edwardes' pay offer and productivity plans have been rejected. But if there is a wages fight the threat of victimisation will be used against