Chrysler-officials

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Despite attempts to assure Chrysler workers that the Peugeot-Citroen takeover will open the way to expansion and prosperity, a statement made last week by the Company chairman did nothing to provide a firm promise that existing jobs will be protected.

"Our interest is to mainactivities in the UK but this development is subordinated to certain considerations of productivity," he said.

The uncertainty facing employees of Peugeot-Citroen is emphasised by the unprecedented steps taken by union bureaucrats to attempt to show that they have a strategy to defend jobs.

At a meeting last Wednesday of the International Metalworkers Federation, bureaucrats from several European countries pledged to defend jobs.

But the programme they drew up in no way prepared for a real fight. The IMF calls on the British, French and Spanish governments to obtain "guarantees of jobs" , and to ensure that the Chrysler plants do not become simply sites for assembling kits.

The IMF also called for direct government representation on the Peugeot-Citroen board. All this was rounded off with vague threats of "industrial action" to defend jobs.

The direction of this policy is entirely away from the mobilisation of the independent strength of the working class.

An independent working class policy must start from the fight to open the books of all the firms involved.

In Britain this means the fight to expose the machinations of the Chrysler UK management through the establishment of open the books committees at plant level.

This policy must be seen as part of the fight, for a fully nationalised motor and components industry under workars management.

The willingness of Chrysler workers to respond to a lead for independent action is shown in the strike now in progress at the Luton and Dunstable plants, despite promises of a Central Arbitration Committee hearing on September 26.

Their claim is for parity with Coventry workers, and the strike is to demand payment now.