Cowley rejects parity' plan

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le Workers Socialist League, 31, Dartmouth Parl 'U) London. Registered as a newspaper at the Pr All of BL cars volume car production is now at a standstill with Maxi, Marina, Princess, Mini, Allegro and Rover 3.5 production lines halted and 27,000 workers laid off.

Land Rover will be halted by the end of this week.

The lay-offs result from the walk-out at the Drew's Lane Transmissions Plant in Birmingham where 3,500 workers have struck against management's offer for the 1978 wage review.

Management have offered a package which lumps together 5% on the rate with their so-called "parity" scheme and the new minimum earnings rates negotiated at national level.

The offer is made only as package and is conditioned on the attainment of productivity criteria to pay for it.

Mockery Even if accepted by individual plants the offer will not be implemented until all of BL. Cars 33 plants have accepted itmaking a mockery of plant A mass meeting of workers at the Cowley Assembly Plant last Thursday voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer.

Meeting under conditions where the plant had been shut down since Monday as a result of the Drew's Lane strike the meeting passed a motion saying that:

«When the plant reopens for all models, an immediate mass meeting will be called by the convenors, from which action will be taken if a satisfactory offer has not been made by that time.

Speaking to the mass meeting, TGWU Convenor Bob 'Fryer congratulated Drew's Lane workers for the stand they had taken and said he would be sending a message of support to them.

After urging total rejection of the offer he explained how the Company would actually make a profit out of their cuts.

They want an 869 cut in the Cowley Assembly Plant workforce against existing production schedules-450 by November 20 and the rest by the end of the year.

This the Company want to achieve by a voluntary redundancy programme.

Fryer told the meeting that there would be no cooperation with the voluntary redundancy schemebut that any section which defended its manning agreements against the cuts would be backed to the full.

The Cowley joint shop stewards spelled out their case for rejection in a leaflet handed out to all members last week. It pointed out that:.

"The Company have not ottered anything, payable now on this year's review. What they FUND The November Fund is still on target with £334.16 in the coffers at the halfway point in the month.

Our thanks to all those who sent in a total of £90.91 in the last seven days.

Donations should be sent to: Socialist Press Monthly Fund, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR. have offered is a package which must be accepted in total and cannot be broken down. (Aptly described by the company themselves in their opening remarks in sorries of elad auck egg in six Inches or Ice / The package includes 5% which will only be paid "on acceptance of the parity programme in principle"'. This means that the 5% would not be paid now but back-dated once "parity"' was accepted.

In order to sell their package they are quoting a figure of €83.75 [an increase of £10 on present production workers' pay at Cowley] as achievable for direct workers by November 1, SOCIALIST PRESS RALLY To commemorate the 1st anniversary of the weekly Socialist Press.

Speakers to include Socialist Press Editor John Lister 'ollowed by a showin of Eisenstein's "STRIKE"

Admission £1.00

Sunday 19 November 3 p.m. at New Ambassadors Hotel Upper Woburn Place (1 minute from Euston Tube)

iblished by Folrose Ltd foI inted by Anvil Printers Ltd RIGHT • 77111 I would like to receive issues. I enclose the sui Name .

Address ! Send to: Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NWS IHR S issues .£1.10 10 issues .22.20 issues .25.50 issues £10.00 Will, Lor Office.

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