Socialist Challengo 12 November 1981 Pago 2 their anti-working class offensive.
Last week the British Leyland workers overwhelmingly for strike action against pany's 3.8 per cent pay offer. On the first full day of the strike huge pickets were put on Two thousand pickets Cowley plant, mockerv of the ment Act which limits the number of pickets to six The mood tant; ed their pay slips at TV cameras. home pay of f50 to £60 for a 40-hour week.
Meanwhile. union leaders had cooked up their deal with management: no increase basic rate of pay, a tiny increase in While screne. tional meeting stewards relected the deal. a crucial sabotaging role was plaved bv leaders.
Duffy Terry Duffy, president called on cept the offer 'for the good of England':
Alex Kitson Laloull workers Davera must told his members more listen to the proposals of the shop up minds'.
At the mass meetings the next morning to decide workforce voted company the comby Monday and against them.
But Lne union outsice the La tremendous anger Employstandards was miliangry workers waiv- mood showing take Lead the trade mass majority in the the bonus the 1a - LUNS of shop whole working class.
the union living standards union leadership product of engineering union, period. It to ac- strength mid 1970s workers struggles. he his members to Boyd AÚEW stewards and both uner own unions and Party.
Apart from Sabotagne offer the against unemployment was split. AI elic Clearly the threat of Leyland boss Michael Edwardes to close down the there was a long strike played a role.
The workers were harassed (symbolised massive newspaper failure television campaign Laurence role the leaderships was decisive. The vote revealed prevented and frustration at falling living and constant and a growing defiance working class determination to struggle back The But in a situation of workers unemployment the dampening were curiou prepared to enter a pro- demands longed struggle without a workers clear lead from the union employees This result is symbolic of the situation inside the mood of resistance to mass unemployment and falling reinforce .is being This leadership is the And now...
THE TORIES Within days of forcing Leyland workers back to work under threat of closing the company down, Patrick Jenkin has declared that BL, as it exists at present, has a future.
In a speech at the weekend, he said it was government's intention private enterprise the profitable sections of That means that the cuts in real wages BL workers have suffered in and all the jobs they have lost will be used to finance profitable plants which will then be handed over to private bosses. If the sell-off plan goes ahead it could also mean that BL will then close down the 'unprofitable' sections.
It all amounts to one more Tory rip-off of the nationalised industries - and one more rip off of the BL workers.
by their trade support the Scott tion in Manchester), it is their block vote at Labour conterence which the left wing willing more decisive victories.
Removing this leader- be used. ship is a crucial task if the is to fight against the Tory austerity offensive.
the consequences this defeat of the Leyland will have effect • on the 'round pay Sections like the miners, Ford workers and public have been holding off to see the outgon The defeat of te defeat Leylana workers will Inu:
Thatcher's four per cent wage norm. certainly lack subtlety.
Industry Secretary very limited to sell-off to the last couple of union immunity civil action thus allowing unions to be sued by employers; compulsory periodic ballots to Defeats like the one a Leyland will also have: negative effect on the leve UNOI membership which has already faller by one million in the pas three years.
In the build up to th Leyland strike dozens of workers were joining the unions in the car plants. Now they will be leaving in droves.
Order At the same time, the sense of bitterness among of Leyland workers will lead resurgence of the effort to call their union leaders to The fight for democracy in the Labou Party has taken enormous strides forward the past three years. This process must begin to flow into the trade unions if the left advance in the Hovellell continue.
But it is excluded that