Philips Rubber

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management decision to meet for further talks on February 22; though Ford has made it clear that the closure of the foundry (to be wound-up by April, 1985) is not negotiable.

Union officials claimed a mandate for their action after a mass meeting on Sunday (29th) at the Dagenham complex where about 7,000 lout of the 19,000 workforce employed there voted by 3-1 to support the "no action for now" approach.

It seems likely that the other Ford plants around the country - who are voting this week -will end up backing this new position. However it is now almost certain that the closure of the Dagenham foundry is just the first step in Ford's plans over the next two years to turn their operations in Britain into assembly-only work.

All-out strike action - a position which has not been ruled out entirely by the union officials' new line (to be decided upon after the discussions with the company) - is the only possible effective way to safeguard jobs at Ford and must be argued for now and preparations begun now by workers at all of the company's plants.

how we stopped privat Available from lan Stephenson, NALGO Branch Secretary, NALGO Office, Town Hall, Bury.

to make up the other yards.

110 TGWU members are in their fourth week of a strike for an increase in their £48 a week wages at Philips Rubber in Manchester.

They are demanding that their bonus, which takes wages up bonuş, which takes earnings up to about £70, be included in the basic wage rate. This would mean parity with Dunlop.

At the weekly Friday mass meeting on January 27, they voted overwhelmingly to carry on the strike.

Convenor Tommy Watkins said, 'Workers realise that the management offer of £7 is a load of rubbish. We are steadfast"

Only 18 clerical and supervisory staff are left working. Engineers inside the factory were laid off last Friday.

Solidarity action must be built on: British Telecom workers have refused to cross the picket line, and local firms including Dunlop have refused to handle goods.

Messages and donations to Tommy Watkins, 16 Barker St, Heywood.

A NATIONAL strike from February 13 has been urged by shop stewards representing drivers from Scotland and the North in the crane hire industry.

A meeting of shop stewards who represent the 2,000 or so AUEW construction section members nationally is due to take place in Sheffield on February 7, where details of the dispute so far _ arising from nonagreement of the 1983 national pay claim and the subsequent imposition by employers on November 7 of a 3.5% rise will be discussed [notably a series of patchily supported one-day strikes], and where the proposal for an indefinite stoppage will be up.

Shop stewards believe that such a course of action, if agreed and made official, would galvanise wavering members up and down the country.

eats dog

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Hands off Bury's Bins!