Stalemate at Cowley

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with such discriminatory policies.

The issues which dominated the week's debate were the local government pay agreement and policy towards racism. The 4.9% offer from the local government employers was accepted, but so at the same time was a motion of censure on the negotiators, who had accepted 4.9% only one day after being instructed to seek a 'substantial increase' on 4.25%!

It was revealed that the employers' offer was conditional on it being recommended by the negotiators. So who is working for whom?

Bill Hamilton of Newham NALGO, in proposing the censure, declared that in future we had to be sure that claims were not 'bungled and mismanaged" We do not however have any such guarantee.

The acceptance of the pay offer was a setback, and so was the defeat of a resolution from Haringey NALGU proposing positıve action to combat racism. One example highlighted by the proposer was that local authority jobs should all be advertised externally as well as internally in the authority - so that disadvantage is not perpetuated.

A motion from Islington caliing for the expulsion of fascists from the union was also defeated.

Conference did however pass resolutions to fight the disbanding of the GLC and to impose very firm controls on the "Temporary Employment Schemes' MANAGEMENT at Cammell BRITISH Leyland management has still not tried to enforce the end of early finishing at Cowley.

At the Assembly Plant local discussions ended with the workforce rejecting management plans. The next move is national discussions, but they have not yet been scheduled.

In the meantime the management have been putting all their efforts into getting the neighbouring Body Plant to accept, thus isolating the Assembly Plant.

Letters to the shop-floor, and foremen approaching workers individually have all been to no avail.

Despite the right wing nature of the plant's union leadership, who have changed the claim from defence of the washing up time to a buy out.

This week the management said that the bonus would go up by f9 a week if the workers worked for the extra time. Instead of calling a mass meeting the union leadership called a floor meeting. Two areas accepted the management position by a small majority. The rest of the factory overwhelmingly rejected it.

On the crucial Maestro floor the workers went further. Both day and night shift voted to initiate an overtime ban and to revert to previous work practices. This will affect production.

Management are saying that the workforce has earned a lot more bonus, but can only have it if they give up their" "washNU LUKE FOR ORKERS ands" time • ith great ho orkers who se - and this m tility from the • it as blackmai

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