By P. Mitchell, Jaguar worker Edwardes with a contract to the full co-operation of leaderships.
Jack Adams, to beg. whelmingly supported the stewards' call to strike THE last Labour government installed Michael 'save Leyland'. In the era of the Social Contract, planning agreements and wage restraints, Edwardes launched his first 'Survival Plan' with the national union , Longbridge convenor, is not prepared The Longbridge workers (above) overThis plan, promising plant 25,000 redundancies and more to follow, was warmly applauded when was presented to national meeting of senior shop stewards By 1979, disillusion was growing in the trade unions.
were proceeding without any pretence at negotiations with ShOp „sleware. eve the national officials were merely informed by letter Threatening a total collapse of BL should the Edwardes secured the support of the executive of the Confederation of Ship. building and Engineering Unions favour of a secret ballot.
He then moved to sack Derek nobinson. bridge convenor, for opThousands of BL workers walked OVI demanding Robinson's Before a total national FIRNER (Socialist Challenge stoppage developed, LIC engineering union leadership promptly ordered everyone back to work Edwardes built up a legend could beaten, although was clear to that all his victories rested heavily on the role played the national trade union officials.
trated during the 1979 pay MIKE reviCh i dragged or till May 1980 Management offered a s per cen increase in wages wrapped y2 nage documen which aimed to remove all grading structures and working practices.
BL workers voted two to one to reject the deal while Edwardes insisted this was a vote for strike action and ruin.
Despite the lack of an clear lead a rolling strik began April workers in separate fac tories decided to walk out Within week 20,000 were on strike. Édwarde was threatening to sack the strikers and, against all the odds, a national stoppage seemed imminent Once again Edwardes turned to the union leader ships in London. He warn. ed them of grave conse. quences if the strike continued and undertook not to sack any strikers so long as they went back to work Evans signed and urged his members back to work on the basis of this 'agreement' was another victory for Edwardes but this time the vast maiority ot B workers understood exact ly how it was gained The 1980 wage review came and went under the shadow of this bitter experience, only eight mon earlier. imposed another effective wage-cu of 6.8 per cent.
A succession of impos ed settlements far below the rate of inflation have driven BL wages down from 3rd in the pay leagu 92nd. Many workers now qualify for plementary the same time 60,000 jobs have been lost as Bl. has shut down plants.
The imposition of such harsh conditions has fuell ed a simmering resentment