Vauxhall offer accepted
Socialist Press1978 1978-11-15Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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A mass meeting at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port factory brought an endorsement of the stewards' recommendation to "reluctantly accept" the company's £5.95 with strings pay offer.
Right wing convenor John Farrell had resorted to a full stewards' meeting only after the stewards 'factory committee' had split on the question. In the event the ful stewards committee accepted the deal with only a handful against.
At the mass meeting Farrell, who has successively passed the buck on pay to union officials, and convenors at Luton and Dunstable, wound predictably blaming the members for being unwilling to fight.
One speaker from the floor, however, pointed to the way in which prolonged talks had spun out the review until six weeks before Christmas-strike action should have been called earlier.
He went on to declare full support for the craftsmen, then beginning their pay strike.
His contribution was witch-hunted by chairman Peter Titherington and by Farrell, and the vote for acceptance of the deal was eventually carried with about 150 voting against.