Prepare to Defend Chrysler Jobs
Socialist Press1978 1978-08-16Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 1 →
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Chrysler pickets outside the Linwood plant Every worker who depends for his or her livelihood on the British motor industry stands to lose if the Labour leaders allow the takeover of Chrysler's British operation by the giant Peugeot-Citroen combine.
Chrysler workers-who face the certainty of a ruthless drive to rationalisation and speed up at the hands of one of the most vicious. anti-union employers in France-stand to lose jobs and hard-won working conditions.
Workers in British Leyland-whose outdated . and almost unsaleable model range would immediațely face strengthened competition from improved marketing of Peugeot-Citroen cars -face an intensified management offensive on speed-up, and the imminent prospects of sackings and even further closures.
And Ford and Vauxhall managements which have been . casning • in on- the weakness of British Leyland sales, would be confronted with an increased struggle to maintain their share of the market-which will inevitably lead to renewed attacks on working conditions there too.
The experience of the recent period has demonstrated beyond all doubt that in the cut-throat competition of today's economic crisis of capitalism, any firm can only improve its position if it expands at the expense of its workforce and its rivals.
Peugeot's rise to dominance in the European car market is based on precisely this concept.
Peugeot workers have the longest (42½ hour) working week, the lowest (£254) monthly wages and one of the lowest (10%) proportions of unionised employees. Conditions are oppressive that its absenteeism rate (over 11%) is the highest of any top car manufacturer.
Such employers will not shrink from axeing workers by the thousand if necessary in order to trim the unwieldly Chrysler operation to the size they require. MICKET LINE BLOCK the expense of the. class.
The Chrysler fiascosoon to be followed by an even sharper turn in British Leyland's financial crisisIN HAND CHRYSLER OLICY closure of subsidiary in 1976 now arise, the perspective of nationalisation is one which
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PHOTO: Andrew wiard, Repor Report