Bosses welch on pay deal

Scan page 11

CHRIST, THE TORIES) YES, IF WE DONT SWIM HMMM-IT SEEMS REALLY WANT THEIR WITH THE TIDE NOW LADS, EVEN JIM HAS POUND OF FLESH. THE -WE COULD BE SWEPT BEEN MAKING SHOP FLOOR WILLGO AWAY BY A FLOOD OF ANTI-TORY Eight weeks ago, after an all-out strike, shop floor workers at Johnson and Johnson's Gargrave plant in North Yorkshire. won an 18.9% rise.

The workers, GMWU members, struck for a £50 basic wage for 40 hours and settled for £47 plus a £2 bonus.

The strike was the first prolonged dispute in the plant's history, with the membership being forced to challenge a bankrupt GMWU local leadership.

The result was that one official was shouted out at a plant meeting when he attempted to obtain an early sell-out.

Prior to this action, in June, APEX members at the factory had settled, without a fight, for 11.4% plus a management promise, written into the agreement, that if another group of company workers settled TOTAL IRRESPONSIBILITY SPEECHES! MAD ABOUT THIS!

DALLY SCAR DAILY PROF SACKINGS PRICES TORE CUTS ...YES WE HANDED SIR MICHAEL THOSE B.L, REDUNDANCIES... AND WE'VE SENT RON TODD TO SMASH THAT PICKET AT FORDS DAGENHAM — HE'S AN EXPERIENCED LEFT-WINGER...

REMEMBER SANDERSONS?. ...YES OF COURSE WE'VE HAD SOME GRIPES ABOUT CUTS, BUT AFTER ALL THAT'S PRETTY PREDICTABLE WITH SOME OF OUR LOT!. for a substantially higher sum APEX could reopen negotiations.

The action of the shop floor has paved the way for an improvement on the original APEX deal.

The employers now say that they are not prepared to re-open negotiations and that the relevant clause in the June agreement is not legally binding.

On October 22 the company's executive management visited the plant and were forced to drive through a picket of APEX members who had taken the decision to call an unofficial one day protest strike.

Though the turnout was high, APEX is now to hold not a mass meeting but a ballot to decide whether to embark on all-out strike action, a work to rule and overtime ban, a series of one day strikes, or no action at all.

Now Moss Evans has said he will have to "reconsider" his statement that—no matter what the ballot result-the TGWU would give official backing to any section of members who oppose the closures.

But the ballot does resolve the problems Edwardes.

Although-denied any alternative policy from their leaders -they have been blackmailed into a 'yes' vote, workers would respond if one of the plants to be closed took direct action and occupied.

The Combine Committee which has opposed the Edwardes Plan should take an initiative on these lines.

They should declare that the result is irrelevant, since other plants, out of a job. The Committee should make it clear that they remain fully for the defence of the 25,000 jobs and that the blacking of the movement of work from threatened plants will continue. Roughshod Within several hours of knowing the ballot result, Edwardes demonstrated how he intends to use it to ride roughshod over existing conditions and procedures.

Two weeks earlier Edwardes had cancelled a meeting at which he was to reply to the MIND YOU, IF WE LOSE YOU MEANLIKE LENS OUR GRIP, THE WRECKERS ANTI-CORRIE DEMOWILL LATCH ON! WRECKED BY A FEW THOUSAND MILITANTS! ... NO, WHAT I WANTED TO REALLY PUT MY FOOT DOWN ABOUT IS THIS DAMNED CLUMSY BUSINESS OF UNION LEGISLATION... HOW CAN WE CONTROL THE WORKFORCE IF THE COURTS GO BLUNDERING IN ?.. not for *Complete flexibility and the ending of seniority agreements; *Acceptance of a so-called bonus scheme' , which was rejected in a secret ballot two years ago.

No payout This 'bonus scheme' would rarely pay out any money, but would require a corporation wide industrial engineering agreement and the reallocation: of work on the tracks to ensure "parity of effort"

The new industrial engineering agreement could abolish any form of mutuality and give unlimited access to the tracks for the Industrial Engineers. Edwardes' argument is that since the majority voted to accept that sackings were neces. sary to "save the company", the majority will accept this pay deal under the same illusion. But Edwardes is skating on thin ice.

There is little doubt that the offer will receive a hostile reception when it reaches the shop floor.

It is vitally important that a lead should be given from the LCJNC.

They have not yet rejected the offer-but have taken a further three days to consider the implications of it.

No time must be lost.

The offer must be rejected and a recommendation for strike action put to mass meetings throughout BL.

HELLO-YES... 70p FOR A PRESCRIPTION?.. WELL WELL HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING... ...I MEAN, QUITE FRANKLY, MAGGIEIF YOU PUSH YOUR LUCK ON THIS ONE, WE MIGHT NEVER BE ABLE TO FORCE IN THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY YOURE SO KEEN ON!

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

155,000 people have no right to vote 25,000 fellow workers, in