Workers Socialist League

Socialist Press, Trotskyism Today, Woman Worker, Class Fighter and the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee, 1975–1984

OXFORD MAIL the man who took control at Cowley

Socialist Press no. 165, 5 September 1979 · scan p. 11 · about 482 words

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for action on the third Monday and both plants remained solid.

Last week in the run up to the first of the new two day. actions two events took place on Wednesday morning.

In the Assembly Plant the Convenors met the shop stewards and issued to them instructions for the two day action and made picketing arrangements to ensure the solidarity of the piant.

In the Body Plant howeverthe TGWU sub-committee met and decided to issue no instructions for the Monday and Tuesday, but to leave it to the individual.

_ This is recognised as their way of saying that they opposed the strike.

Right wing plan

In the Assembly Plant the right wing then set in motion a well organised plan directed against the convenor Bob Fryer.

The press were on the gates at 12.45, 30 minutes before stoppages began in the North Works demanding a mass meeting and a vote on the strike.

North Works production workers marched into the South Works tracks and brought them to a halt.

Led by supporters of the previous convenor, extreme right winger Reg Parsons, about 2,000 production workers converged on Bob Fryer's office which was defended by a number of stewards and militants.

meeting Windows were smashed and doors kicked in during | nore than one hour of violence a t the end of which the conve enors agreed to address AT THE MR RON LAKE, the men in the while coat who tonk control of the stormy meeting al Corley when workers vited to ignoe a two-day strike, expitized today why he steppad forward.

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After Ibe too aestor thee arde, Mr abby Flyer (Trazeport and fieser Workers with t is reat to Lalue 6489.

meeting later in the afternoon.

At the meeting Bob Fryer told them that the unions had issued an instruction and that they would be out on Monday and Tuesday. He was not empowered to take a vote and no vote would be taker.

The right wing then addressed the meeting and took a vote and the meeting voted to work on Monday and Tuesday.

On Thursday, therefore, Bob Fryer was faced with a very difficult situation. The overtime ban was called off in almost every section and it was clear that the action had collapsed.

It was also clear that the right wing were determined to take full advantage of the situation they had created by strike feeling.

Secret ballot

They were well aware that Bob Fryer is the only con venor in BL who has to stanc 1 for election in December by a s ¡ecret ballot-a bailot organised by a hostile bureaucracy and in of a hostile press.

They saw this as their chance.

If the plant was closed on Monday and Tuesday by the action of a minority of stewards

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consolidating the backlash into hardened anti-Fryer, anti-

← Contents of Socialist Press no. 165, 5 September 1979

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