BL's Cowley reply

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Leyland management at the Cowley Assembly Plant last week met the unions to give their reply to their claim for a £27 across the board increase, a 35-hour week, protected against inflation through a cost of living clause.

But management chose once again to press for corporate level bargaining, and their offer concentrated exclusively on the effects of their proposals to establish pay parity between Leyland plants.

This, they suggested, would bring an average increase of £6 to £7 per week. And they said they would argue with the government for permission to consolidate supplements into the new basic rates.

But the present scheduled H'M... THE NEW BRANCH SECRETARY IS AT LEAST 5 MINUTES LATE... A BAD START!

! WHO'S FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT?) YEAH HA! date for parity is not until November next year. It could only be brought forward if every plant accepts their highly contentious grading structure, and if there is a drastic increase in productivity-which can only mean thousands more jobs lost.

No offer was made on the basic rate-the company is even holding back on offering the 5% permitted by Phase 4 until further stages of bargaining have been reached.

Leaflets To drive forward the pay struggle in Leyland i n ad-hoc "Leyland Stewards C immittee for the Annual Reviel i" is this week distributing 10,800 leaflets into BL's Midlands plants, arguing for a fight for the full claim now, with no strings.

'SURE HOPE HE'S A RELIABLE MODERATE- WE'VE QUITE (ÉNOUGH BLOODY MOANERS AND WRECKERS IN THIS UNION Drawing attention to Ford negotiator Ron Todd's description of productivity dealing as "a raffle ticket" , the leaflet points out that:

"The raffle ticket BL are offering not only has a high price and long odds, but if you win you have to buy your own prize."

Rejecting any increase linked to productivity, the leaflet stresses that "jobs are not for sale" . "The claim must be pursued and fought for at plant level."

"Get your stewards to press for a mass meeting. Get the claim moving with the full backing of the membership. Fords did it; so can we." (STILL IT'S MOSTLY WOMEN iN THIS BRANCH-OLD HARRY USED TO CONTROL THEM ALRIGHT! 3... WEVE GOT AN IMPORTANT MEETING WITH YOUR NEW BRANCH on the topic of "industrial action endangering patients' lives"

The fact that he was shouted down from the start by virtually everyone in the hall made it clear that Harris' mock outrage was not directed at this particular meeting but was part of a carefully orchestrated campaign which has appeared in the media over the past week attacking trade unionists who are defending the NHS.

This has included a staged TV interview about action at Kingston Hospital and a completely false article in the Daily Mail designed to set the scene for future witch-hunts against activists at St. Mary's Hospital.

However Harris and his screeching minions had no effect whatsoever on the enthusiasm and determination of the local community to support the shop stewards and Defence Committee in fighting to save St. Mary's Hospital. The meeting ended by setting up a support committee to include delegates from Westminster Trades Council and the local labour movement.

(WELL I'M IN FAVOUR OF EQUAL RIGHTS, BUT... HEY, JOE-TAKE A LOOK AT THAT TASTY BIT OF SKIRT OVER THERE-MUST BE THE MEW CHAR! MUNIT LIVEN UP THE OFFICE!

I AM THE NEW BRANCH SECRETARY - HERE'S OUR WAGE

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Oxford TGWU District Secretary David Buckle JP is no stranger to witch-hunting or to kangaroo As one of the chief instigators of the notorious TGWU charges against the Cowley 9, was carried with only 3 votes against.

Buckle's response? In an interview with the Oxford Mail's scab industrial correspondent Peter Sturges la member of the anti-union Institute of Journalists) Buckle claimed he had been the subject of a "witch-hunt"

The stewards' meeting, he

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CO!! HOW'S ABOUTA COUPLE OF TEAS, LOVE-MAKE IT SNAP SECRETARY!

CLAIM-30% AND NO STRINGS! 11111, 1//

claimed, was a "kangaroo court" , and "contrary to natural