Socialist Challenge No. 15, Special "Fraud" news supplement for Ford Workers strike, 29 September 1977
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Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
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Fraud
EVERYTHING!
WHOSE CLAIM?
NEWS
Volume I. Issue l
but another want-cur ocine com pared to the 25,5 per ceas cus in our standard of living over the DOS TECELM official figures. Weld need Listra
just to make up for that. nothing compared what we need to keep up with inflation in the coming year.
ord is trying to por
ning. They're yet again div ne us. They're trying to buy off the higher paid D and E grade workers with 12 per cent rises -leaving A grade with just 9 per IF WE accept that the Ford wage claim druma up hy the union official and the com
- is bused on a genuine destre to improve the lot of the Hard worker. then there these questions which aced * Why was the claim not put
May maIs meetings efore it wis submitted to the
Why did the platform refase to: allow any voles on the propusas нані втопови ро
orward by individual af the nutional shop stewards conference held in Coventry? * Why have au plans of action to uchiere the claim beea disPUSO DE DECIDE SERPIE BE BOTO meetings or at nutional stup steward level!
the recall shop stewards conference in discuss
to achiere-the InE claim been postponed 0r cRacelled!
The denial of workers democ-
acy has meunt that we are lei
ih o clais that does ne adequatels meet the needi und aspirations of the Ford workera. Pas. hours of work, and heulth and safety are all clearly insdequate in the clasm.
IT'S GOT TO BE
WE ALL KNOW Ford's latest offer is not adequate. It means yet another cutin our standard of living. Reaction to it has been quick and angry. In the body plant at Halewood last Friday night, workers in the 'Elephant House, (the welders) walked out when they heard the details. The week before, a mass meeting in the Dagenham body plant totally rejected the carlier offer.
cent. We say se to this divide and mule. want an across-the board offer What about our other points?
O the bimenoesca banan no answer. Working on the line 10 is the hardest, beaviest, and most half hour's extra pay a day. Ford paid an allowance before, and can he foroed to pay it again.
On the 37 hour week noching. Werve been askile 10 the 35 hour week for ten years, Nevertheless, we must sup port the claim as it staod: despire its shortcomings. Dur Joh auw is to unite around a strategy te fighil for the chuim We on the shop Noor canno afford to rely on the trade union side of the negotiuting committee to decide our future We're left it to theon over the last three years, und where has It got ust On our hehalf our representatives have supported the Social Comenic meant at least a 25.A per cent cut in real wages!
The trade union officials have shown that they will ese ans methods necessary te implemaguinst the rank and Mile. For example, in the summer at the Ford plant, the union officials even tried to preveut the convenor from addressing a mass meeting unless he agreed to call tor an end to the lus-off pay strike.
Shan steward who recoemiss the oficial sabotage have heen ham-strung in trying lo take up cluim against the slitting tactics of the trade union negotistors.
An example of the sabotage was seen at the slage-manseed
and now we've got to fight for a
million on the dole, Ford has no
excuse, It would mean less work
for us, and a chance of a wage
On the estra month's pas
othing. In Germany, Italy an
Ford pays an
That's
increase our
boeus £15 to make ESO. This is
peanuts. We have a right to the
extra month's pay.
On the cost of living safeguard
ment, not a l-year agreement
They don't explain why the
coulde'. Prices go up every da)
And finally, on our demand for
whatever the cause
lay-off, Ford
mathing. The dispute in June at Coventry stewards confereace This conference look ap is time than the afterwards: Its only lunctions seemed to be to rubber stamp the official wage claim and leave everything in the negotiator's hands ai Pod meter mane begin 10 organist gainst ans back-siding awa rom an all-unt ligar for th complete claim. Thie which bu he done by bringing the negor ators under the shup floor. We must make sure that all decisions affecting the sulcome of the claim are put before masa meetings. We must decisions abo demand that stewards conference is rocalied Imediately, *, plan and coAssemble ordinate an action strategs tor all Ford workers to schieve the daim. In the event of a strike, the shop floor strike committee to run the day to duy acteities and organi sation in the planis.
li E in this rank und file Ford workers, esm beconte confident ouneves do muke the best condicions possible in taking a sep forward in wurking and Eving conditions.
Traud
October 1977
With 1.6
clain
They re
holiday bonus. rent up. 1ood holiday 415
2-year agree 10% BROKEN presa conference
will enly
control of the
the shop way that we, the
Dagenham showed that we're no longer prepared to be treased like casual labour. This is one of the most important paints in the
major part of the clasm. The 15 per cent asked for hy the union is just not coough tr keep up with inflation, Rates up
up, and school meals are up. We need at least So — to sum up — we need to fight to win everything in this claim, if our standard of living is not to fall yer again this year.
With the Iatest offer Ford has now broken the Government's J0 per cent wage guideline. So they cannot hide behind the Govern ment's limits as an excuse for not
Tired of living...?
HELL ON EARTHE
Making poxy Fiestas and Cortinas. There's MORE
Fraud. MORE night work.
Not to mention the Big Fraud Benefit Package: long
holldays Iwhenever you are laid off; exceller
funoral facilities, fren tallet paper and that specie
Novar-Never-Never car purchase plan.
This Is a nawspaper lor Ford workers. by the FORD WORKERS GROUP, DAGENHAM and the FORD LANGLEY ACTION COMMITTEE meeting the fall claim. An inch is as good as a mile. So now we're in a strong position to win everything in the ciaim.
NO MORE SACRIFICE
This might be the last chance for a long time to get what we need. We have 10 act now when we can. The Government is asking us to make anocher year of sacrifice. Meanwbile she boss es are having a bonanza. Profis
booming and the sock market'", on the up and up. Las year, when we got a 4%, per cen
rise, Ford had three price rise
and made £121 million profir.
We must say 'No' to any more
sacrifice. But we'll have a fight to
make sure that happen
Fords money does not fall fron
the sky - It only comes through
struggle. Ford can pay, and can
Henry Ford needs YOU!
MORE
• Fato
FOUND ST be cade to pay — il chey see us united, determined and prepared O THE SULA The only way were going to win is to tell Ford right now that we're prepared to go all the way That we're prepared to take strike action. And we have to tell the unions that this year, there'l be no sell out Atready at Langley. Dagenham and Halewood, people ate talking about imediate action 10 back up a strike threat. Among the sugestions are imposing n
the workers at Halewood nave got the ball rolling. Now ler's give it a good kick
We need everything in thi dalm and we cua get it by sch... you know what!
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WERF CASUAL LABOUR
FORD WORKERS SUPPLEMENT 8 October 1977 page 4 at the engine plant and the assembly plant.
MAY 1977 THE ENGINE PLANT DISPUTE In May 1977 a section of workers in the Dagenham engine plant requester to be moved to e saler placc ol work- due to ansafe conditions, including fire and explosions. Ford took them off pay. A meting of ail ine assembly areas was then called The areas had previously voted that If any one assembly sectios was laid off, all the lines would walk out and picket,
mediately a picket was piac ed on all gates. The picket stayed al night and was relieved by the mightshift.
The next morning, the works committee of the engine plant called a meeting and moved that the picket line should be moved. The night shift workers on the picket invited to this meeting. And the dayshift pickets suspected that the main concern of the senior
seemed to be their weekend overtimne. They refused to attend the meeting.
The picket continued, but the deputy convenor had already
AT THE big mass oth shifts of the Dagenhum assembly plant in June, "Freaky Fred'
Transport Workers Union, tried to sell us out with a 13-Poimt Procedure Plan that dida Teven mentinm lay-offs:
TOnE smeggled a powerful publie adress systema through the picket lines enough to drown any heeklers. They set it up in the car park or the back of the plant so thai "Blake the snske could do his staff. workers thought
LAYOFFS HAVE a long history at Fords. Yet the unions are making little more than token gestures in taking up the constant layoffs. And it has been only through our militancy that the union has been forced to do it now. Just look at two recent cases at Dagenham: the disputes
Cards staline Ine pickeE wal over and lorries should go thr ough. By the night the picker completely undermised by the action of the convenor and senior stewards.
However, within a few months the inyoff fight was taken up by assembly plant workers. It's a story to watm the heart!
FEBRUARY 1971 - THE ASSEMBLY PLANT DISPUTE In February this year Dagenham assembly plant workers were laid off twice in the one week because of the fight being waged against speed up and disciplite. We were angry and willing to fight When asked by shop stewards if we wanted a mass meeting to light these attacks, the 500 crim rC WOLLE HSU OCT LIDNU we wanted one. wanned it there and then.
We marchec alone the Ime inviting other workers to join ou demonstration until we rhe canteen. Aller a lone delay the shop stewards turned down all practical proposals from the foor, They moaned thar during
SUr
meeting of differently. They dide't wanl Fred. wanted lo from Brian Elliott, convenur of the ussembly plant. They crondhit nervous. Siling sheepisbly, he adjusted bis lle, aad spoke
BEOLICS. was a roar of ubuse: Puck off sumerful you seub...' 'No brother
Ered became Flostered. But his neihiemsouH COYNCa S1RE ody nicked hes microphone.
Freuky Fred went pule.
påp SOCIALIST CHALLENGE. P.D. Box 50, Islington, London N1 2XP
the last hundred yoars they had tried to fight in every possible waw but had bever woceedcd. The feeling of the meeting was frustration. But when we returnCO WOTE LYU UUI take action. Different, ancoord.
inated action. It assembly nanE ShOD committee proposed a policy for fighting lay-offs.
Thin policy was later accepted
worker and ly dedared
TECHINE embly workers and
that any future lay-off would be answered with a total stoppage ULCUDBLE WOud contoue anGl Bc co0t any agreed to pay 80 per cent of asc pay to the workers who had been laid off.
JUNE CONTINUES
In June the determination of the assembly workers was to be teslied when a plant led to 2,000 body workers and 3,000 assembly workers being laid eff. The assembly stew-
policy agreed in Fehruary Pickets were set up at the main and cotrance in the Dapenhams estate.
Transport stewards blocked all goody plam. The solidarity shown - by
reached lorry drivers from as tar away as
SETULLI Because our convenor Brian
Elliot supported our demand for scutrled off the platform and run hear away lo hide in the manage-
niend's offices, refasingto conne tuE agRin.
The mike nas control of the workers, Sot just the cuavenoes or the stemards. but the workerstoo! A mery rare Immedintely there event fer Fords Dagenham.
Ford chought they were clever: ibey cut off the bie amplifiers sell- To cuntinue the meeting, one o
SELMAIS
have told the amplifier mun that if he dide't switch on the sound sustem ugain, there might be a
80 per company _refused with him. union officials and.
then the stewards" disciplinary agreement
Ford's called a mas TOnN COC BEaL E
officials would
This
1977: THE DISPUTE
their members.
strike in the body of OuT
notified
implement the beast
Lay-DI 1 E-
combined
leaving che
gave un tremendous
CUIRJCLYAUME ional wage claim.
Workers take aver the pietlorm ar mass meeting.
in ther argued our casc. Nice une
MUHLIS
WINTE UL ACIUOLS
bronght oul manugemcet softies -ONCHAL
bent lay-o11 pay uu Instead it called in with the Dagenhan Panel of Convenors tried to cook up a desl above our work on the basis of a new
With bod a mention of lay-off pay it was the opposite of whar we wanted
their 'negotiated' plan. When the
not CORUSTOE LO SUTE AC WUA WEL the platform and chucked off the officials. A vote was taken and we'd been on strike for 18 days and were more confident than e'Eut the offelals stil weren's prepared to accept the feelings of
IC CICu al other mass meeting. Scabs from haler pla cu ee seers to it end
workers
Ar the meeting a bem proposal was put forward, offering us ar
24 hours notice befare a number of the soeten elen ol the ta
the union officials and managemens had it effect. The strike was called off.
We were left with officials telling
deal "bridging agreement' and that the 80 per cent lay-off pay would be
in the natHEYESI acek's pay
Fords?
WUIKC
riot. So the power came on and for the next 20 minutes workers, shopstewards, and the coavenor had the platform su to them elves. They mude speeches unt
most important thing and about these events was thai
seized the right control their own mase meeting The uniun official ran umay te
Jlm the
tad control of the platform -HS ME Bome: This is the only way do ensure democracy in the docisions we mule. A lesson for the fiture!
"t's the
women
who bear
the brunt
We bath wonk ior Ford's... "You' relaid off without pay antil furthernotice." This is the bane of lineworkers in all the Ford assembly plants. And it's the wives and girifriends → the women brunt of it. They have to scrimp and save on social security. They are often forced to take a temporary job in addition to the housework they do already.
The last/ layoff which affected Dagenham, Southampton and Langley Ford assembly mid-June. The Dagenham plar took strike action to get layoff pay, fighting for "Eighty per cent now!"
Al Langley the blokes on the picket line were joined by a couple of wives and girifriends of the men laid off. We talked tooneofthe women on the picket line. Julie Gungi is married, with two children and one on the way - she is seven months pregnant. It washer first time on a picker line.
What did you think about your husband being laid off because of a dispute at Dagenham?
Ididn e think it was lair. They are two different plants. The inco Langley are always being laid off through no faul of theu own.
What was the reaction of other When 1 was on the picket line 1 talked to a lat of men, either on Br tho dầy s pay: T taund that eto of he gor gue or
quite a lot of publicity in the local paper
I think it's time Henry Fond realised thai we have enough on cut sate al m looking after our children anc Families with inflation üke it is — without putting our men our of work just when it suits him.
Eed reyse ty warden
Levers WoOk.
Massey-Ferguson in Coventr
gives this guarantee — so why no
Did ungone ohfect to vou heleg on
the picket line!
Yes, che deputy convenor. 1 wa
ecused of nos beine a. Fore
, but a university student
Tama full time housewifo with tax childres and one on the way —hu alwasflattering. But/soemysellas a rosd worker My hushand worksat Fords and
brings lome the mones, 1 get him up and make sure he gets to work
on libe. I make it possibie for him!
te work by looking after the kid.
washing filthy wock
clothies, The deputy consenor was
objecting to the picket inself
official He
akad Ved He tid, Waich
He saic. + Which - 1 replied,
You are a member of the Ford
Langley Action Commitlee!
Yes. T am chairperson. FLAC
- who bear the
plants was in camse about on the picket line. It i3 trying te miske the union fight for what the ordinary bokes an tie fine and their wives and girl friends wans. There are twe other women involved in FLACandtlat What are your plans? very important.
First, Iam trying lo get a group ol wives together like if there is a suske. Then we are circulating a petition to wives and girltriend: ahout the importance of the sain Wetend in hie toa guaranteed weck in chis unions — i is josc that they don't seenttothink c about theposition ol the wives
1 would support a strike callod just to win the guaranteed week. A Lor of worten should suport thal and they should look into the
onges coming up in the peasic
Before, widowed would ger 2 wears wage
about £6.000. But now she will only get one year's wages plus a Pt sac ir young when her blokc dies, thon she nothing cach weel, This new pler would makeher nuch worse off in that sicuation. I think chat's what the plan invalves. very
complicated Ir looks as thou Lle young widow wonkt get muc
os and the older widow a hi MOTL. What was the reaction from wives
bink es and truck drivers when sou went on the picket line? The trock STIVELS -were ver) sympathetic. and mast turned away. The whole experience very interesting. The blokes dide"
scem ar all put out. They were jus
pleased I was there
Some of the wives were a little
hesitant They dida't think the
could do it. Ther say Not me.
haw Cink 8S 1102 LU
and l'am pregnant. 1E we all pull
Logether, we can do these thines
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