Longbridge: rebuild stewards' movement

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Cards 'back to work' is only impose ine document, and but pulung semul diew- warut. TY LEA one small part of the bosses can all set about regaining all plan contained in their "pro- the ground we have lost at keep Edwardes in luxury.

One way of getting two bites at the cherry is to predict the losses one day (and attack the workers) and then report the official announcement of the losses the next day (and attack the workers again).

The Sun started it with 'The Big Question" in a centre-page spread. The big question - in large type is apparently the following. "British Leyland is losing £1,000 a minute. It's your money - can you really afford it any longer?"

Bach article on the page ended with an estimate of how much BL had lost in the time to read it -disappointingly there was no estimate of how much Edwardes had 'earned' in the same period.

The Sun article was only the first in a series in a variety of paper seaching for the final solution for BL, all of which are very nearly as nasty for the workers as that sounds.

BL workers should stand by for further in-depth scrutiny. And it won't be into the size of Edwardes' take-home emoluments. SIX OF THE eight members of the Longbridge Works Committee have been put back on their jobs on the shopfloor.

Only convenor Jack Adams and Chairman Brian Chambers remain as fulltime stewards.

Rough

It was participation that made a lot of senior stewards full-timers, and in exchange for this and other perks many of them saw themselves as "firemen". , dampening down militancy and telling workers to put grievances through procedure instead of taking action.

Now that the last remnants of the cosy particiption set-up have disappeared, many of those who sought positions when he perks were around are now selling their jobs and getting out as the going gets rough.

Earlier this year the clerical staff convenor Bill Linthwaite took voluntary redundancy because he told the council) he was "not prepared to stand for the continual harassment and vicious nitpicking to which my colleagues and I were continually being subjected."

Pressure

A few weeks ago, Vic Poulton, an AUEW member of the Longbridge Works Committe also took voluntay redundancy.

One good aspect of the increasing nanagement pressure on senior stewards is that those who put themselves forward for such positions now are likely to do so for principled reasons rather than for perks and priveleges.

Now the Works C'itee must give a icau mil- riTa lead to militancy, rebuild the strength and credibility of the Joint Shop Stewards' Committee and improve communication with the shopfloor.

Ironically, management's decision to put Works Committee members back on the shopfloor could have the effect of strengthening the union organisation at Longbridge in the long run.

cedure document"

The other more dangerous items include a new national negotiating committee controlled by officials, a new disciplinary code giving BL the right of summary dismissal and a clause making the new procedure legally binding - making unofficial strikes a sackable offtal 341 MINU l travannr. ence!

The fight against this procedure document could well be won or lost in the course of the fight around the 1981/2 wage review.

If we can force the Company down on its proosal to bring in the new official-dominated NJNC and if we can then go on to win a worthwhile rise, then Edmarrer will he unable to BL in the last few years.

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Socialist Organiser, Thursday 3 September 1981 Page i.