Lairds' second strike
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-06-16Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 14 →
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OVER 300 welders at Cammell Lairds shipyard, Birkenhead, have now gone on strike for the second time in two weeks.
The welders, members of the GMBATU Boilermakers' section, are demanding a payment of 15p per hour for all those involved in coded welding on the accommodation rig for the Morecambe Bay gas field. The coded allowance has been paid for other rig jobs, but management have obviously now decided to keep down the money paid for allowances.
The welders' shop stewards were originally told by management that the rig would not involve coded welding. When the contract started, welders were put in for very long tests which obviously indicated that there was coded work. The welders' stewards went to management to negotiate the allowance, and were told that they would have to take the claim through 'procedure' ', even though it was exactly the same sort of work as on other jobs for which the allowance was paid.
The "procedure' was dragged out by management, who obviously wanted to see the work finished before making any move to reject the claim. Six months later, the welders have had enough.
A strike started on Thursday June 2 after a mass meeting of welders. On Friday 3rd management said they would have to start lay-offs, and that they would not discuss the welders' claim until a return to work.
On Monday 6th management announced 400 lay-offs at 3pm. 300 of these were boilermakers. The stagers (scaffolders) have a policy of one lay-off, the whole department goes out - which management are aware of.
The stagers walked out. On Tuesday' 7th a mass meeting of the boilermakers supported a shop stewards' call to strike in