Long bridge walkout
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-02-17Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 14 →
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ALL production at Longbridge was stopped last Wednesday because of a strike which started over lack of heating but developed into dispute over supervision doing hourly-paid workers. jobs.
Last Wednesday, in CAB2; where the Ital is produced, storemen complained about the cold and held a meeting together with drivers. They refused to start work until the heating was improved, and gave management until 9.30am.
However, foremen and superintendents had meanwhile begun driving forklift trucks. This was not the first time that supervision had scabbed in this way, and the fork-lift drivers refused to start work even when the heating was improved.
The storemen gave full support.
When the forklift drivers in CAB1 (the Metro assembly tracks) heard about it, they struck in solidarity. Later that morning, at about 11.30, the track workers in CAB2 met and decided to black materials that had been handled by supervision. They then went home.
Drivers in the North Works and Trentham also struck in solidarity. As a result of the action, virtually everyone in Longbridge was laid off, apart from power and train workers in the East Works.
Although the next day work resumed after convenor Jack Adams told the strikers that chey had made their point and had no choice but to return, the incident does show an increased mood of militancy despite all the setbacks at Longbridge in recent years.