No Compromise! No Sell-out! (continued)
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them for that. workers?
national balance sheets.
But the letter from Thatcher national interests.
in differthat jobs whatever in intershows the danger of appeals Cowley strikers. standing firm welcome, but workers should not have to rely on an appointed official over whom they have no control. His boss is Moss Evans, not the rank and file workers.
What right does Terry Duffy have to make public statements about buying out the six minutes, without any authority from the strikers - particularly when he calls for a 'small' buy-out payment!
TERRY DUFFY is not content to stab his Cowley membership in the back, he is dead set against the policies supported by the vast majority of the rank and file in the unions and the Labour Party.
Un Monday 18th, he took timé out from meetings with employers to address his union's conference - and launch into an attack on Labour's policies of uni lateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from the Common Market. "They will damage the chances of getting elected", he claimed.
Even the harmless Michael Foot came in for a tongue-lashing from Duffy, who is one of the clique of extreme right wing union leaders seeking to oust him and install Dennis Healey in the leadership.
Duffy pointed out that during the last war a bullet shot the chinstrap off his helmet. He did not say which side fired the bullet. Many workers may well wish it had been aimed a couple of inches higher.
The officials are now talking about a public inquiry into the management's attitudes in BL Who needs an inquiry into that? They are threatening-to sack the entire labour force. What more evidence is needed?
The reality is that BL's position does not start from being humane or inhumane. They start from their need for profitability. : The unions should be demanding, not just an inquiry into their attitudes, but to open the books and investigate their entire business. Management use their sole control of information to back up their productivity drives.
The strike also needs a clear policy in the event of sackings, which will be a major industrial and political issue if BL goes ahead. All BL must be called out in that event.
Moss Evans talked about this before he went to the Gatwick meeting. Local officials have now opposed a call on these lines from the stewards, on the basis that it would be dangerous if it were not successful. But the mood in the other BL plants is strong. Conditions in all the main plants are the same as Cowley. BL workers know that Cowley is fighting a battle with corporate management which is also their battle.
NOT all BL employees are offered a pittance for their annual wage increase. Ray Horrocks received a pay increase of 15% last year from less than £60,000 to over £75,000 on being made Group Chief Executive, Cars.
There is no information as to whether the deal involved a commitment to bell-to-bell running by Mr Horrocks.
An official call to the other BL plants would get a tremendous response. The combine committee should meet and organise to ensure that in the event of sackings all BL is called out on official strike.
5,000 workers sacked for going on strike would be a national political issue for the whole trade union movement. It would be a fundamental challenge to the right to strike - and should be treated as such.
The campaign must begin now in support of the Cowley workers. Trade union branches and shop stewards' com-