[rent strike, the 4000 TGWU members there walked…]
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-04-21Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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rent strike, the 4000 TGWU members there walked out against speed-up on the Rover/Ambassador line. At a mass meeting they voted to strike on a Monday and meet again on the Friday.
After two days the company withdrew the speed-up and the workers went back after Buckle had urged the shop stewards to recommend a return.
Two days later the company implemented further manning cuts, in the paint shop. Buckle argued against calling a mass meeting. he said the company had a right to implement their' manning. He argued that Leyland workers could not fight the 'blue newspaper" (the agreement- on productivity and management authority imposed in 1980 by Michael Edwardes which has been used as a charter for many attacks on work conditions since then).
Despite a clear majority of stewards voting to-support the paint shop - only eight were against - the leadership of the plant argued that 'too many had abstained' But the paint shop stood firm and the membership assembled for a mass meeting in their support.
As some sections were not there, Buckle argued against taking a decision, and a further mass meeting was called for the following Monday morning. He was the only person who addressed that meeting. The mood was to support the paint shop. But in his speech Buckle did not even mention the paint shop.
NU LUKE FOR B.L Fight ORKERS *15. Hard-faced: Musgrove (left) and Armstrong He just argued against fighting the 'blue newspaper' and for a return to work - though he said that if the company did not change their attitude he would be willing to have an official strike in the future.
If he had argued for strike action, then there is no doubt that the struggle at Cowley would have centred on the manning issue and on the Body Plant. As it is, the company ended 'hand-washing' time in the Body Plant at the same time as in the Assembly Plant, and there was no lead from the senior stewards, all right-wing supporters of Buckle.
Convenor Bill Roche simply said that he expected workers would continue to take the time.
In the Body Plant the tracks stop five minutes early, but the workers are not allowed to clock
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back! Contact: 194 Dawlish Rd, Birmingham JOHN HARRIS 3 MINUTE WARNING
He argued BL workers couldnot fight thre "blue-newspaper"