The Cowley claim

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Pay crunch at agreed to undertake the task strategy to head off the of slotting each of the 60 wage claims is likely to "bench marks" (job titles) come next weekend at a into the five grades, subject meeting in Luton, to the current job evalua where chairman Michael Every one of these new "improved" 5-year plan The kangaroo court in Tunis has pronounced sentence on the 30 union leaders, removed from office by the government for their part in the violent general strike of 26 January.

With no right of appeal, Habib Achour and Abderrazak Ghorbal (the former general • secretary and regional secretary for Sfax of the UGTT, General Union of Tunisian Workers) have been sentenced to 10 years hard' labour, while shorter terms have been inflicted on 22 others.

But these vicious penalties fall short of the death sentence demanded by the state prosecutor in this rigged trial.

Hailed by the Tunisian bourgeoisie, such 'clemency' was dictated by the scale of the opposition that developed to the form of justice being administered by Bourguiba's 'democratic regime.

Impossible to act

The defence lawyers walked out in protest-some now face charges themselves as a result.

Their replacements, appointed by, the state, complained that the restrictions of the court made it impossible for them to act in defence of the accused. They too refused to cooperate with the political frame-up.

Outside the trial, relatives and supporters of the defendants were arrested, along with observers sent by: French trade union confederations, as they demonstrated in protest.

Amnesty

Condemnation of the sentences, and demands for an amnesty have been made by international trade union organisations, including the SSE Following the lead given last month by the Cowley Assembly Plant most of the plants within Leyland Cars have now tabled wage claims seeking around £100 per week for production workers.

While Cowley stewards have been awaiting management's reply to the claim endorsed by a mass meeting in the plant, the Leyland Combine Committee has met, and been forced. to recognise that this year's wage review will be negotiated at factory level and not through centralised, corporate level bargaining.

But the Communist Party and right wing stewards who control the Combine Committee have still not given up in their efforts to introduce at least elements of corporate bargaining this year.

They have recommended that each individual plant consider including "common elements" in each claim.

After the Communist Party members succeeded in defeating a Cowley proposal that all plants should press for a cost of living clause the "common elements' proposed were:

35-hou week without loss of pay.

*Consolidation of all supplementary payments.

*An increase of £15 per week from November 1978 to be applied to the highest current flat rate payment (£84.13). All other grades to receive the appropriate pro rata increase based on this rate.

*Full parity to apply from November 1978.

These points have now ben submitted by most of Leyland's Midlands car plants as their plant claim.

Management policy A central danger with claims formulated in this way is the demand for "parity" to be brought forward to November of this year rather than November 1979.

ment's corporate bargaining management policy, and must be strongly opposed.

Union leaders have enabled Leyland bosses to make major advances towards their corporate Last week the national negotiating committee (LCJNC) voted to accept *£27 per week basic wage. *Consolidation supplements. *Premiums to be full hourly rate. *Cost of living Todd decisions highly contentious and likely to lead to strikes as soon as each is announced.

In an effort to avoid this, decisions are being taken behind firmly closed doors, with LCJNC members sworn to the strictest secrecy.

The five pay proposed by BL ment are as follows.

1.. £84.76 £80.71 2a. €79.05 3. £71.66 4. £65.00 Even a meeting of convenors held last was retused i access documents by national cars Grenville Hawley. . of all grades manageTGWU Friday to the TGWU officer *35 hour week. *Increased company contributions to pension scheme. *Sick pay at full hourly rate. *Five days additional holidays.

for Leyland.

If there is any prospect of the Company proposing to bring "parity" forward as part of a wage offer it would have to emerge at this meeting.

There is no doubt that it would be accompanied by calls for massive speed-up under threat of further plant closures.

"Incentive"

But much more likely is that management will use element of their offer.

This scheme-also discussed under the strictest secrecy by leading bureaucrats on the LCJNC-is now reaching its final stages. But, however much money they may seem to offer, "incentives" schemes are a completely separate issue from basic wages.

And, as productivity deals, they fit into the description given by TGWU National Organiser Ron Todd in the Ford disputeoffering workers no more than "a raffle ticket" in exchange for more effort.

Leyland workers must mount pressure on their plant negotiating committees to stick to the main points of the claims submitted-increases on the basic rate, consolidation of supplements, shorter hours, and longer holidays.

Key question

The "incentives" plan should be •considered separately and thrown out.

The key question is the way in which the leadership in each plant prepares its members to fight for the claim.

Management and union leaders will almost certainly argue that Leyland is different from Fords because it is "bankrupt" and kept afloat by the taxpayer.

Therefore, they will claim, any pay rise must be financed through increased productivity.

£60 million interest This must be answered by demanding that BL's books be opened to elected trade union committees, and by pointing to the £60 million per year paid by Leyland in interest on this so-called "taxpayers' money"

Leyland workers must press for mass meetings to discuss these questions, alongside stewards meetings and written statements to keep members informed.

*Strike now alongside Fords!

*End the secret negotiations; publish : LCJNC documents to the whole union membership!

*Decisions on the pay claim to be taken at mass meetings.

*No deal on "parity" or incentives!

*For an uncompromising defence of living standards.

£100 per week for production workers, with cost of living clauses to protect against inflation!

*End "workers' pation"!

----- pull-quotes -----

Ten years jail for strike eader after show trial

Since "parity" means, in effect, Leyland manage-

plan, such a demand falls completely into line with

the revamped "incentive" plan to form a major