Ford, BOC set oing rate

Socialist Press no. 178, 5 December 1979 · scan p. 10 · about 366 words

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SUBSCRIBE to Socialist Press Send to Socialist Press, 31, Dartmouth Park and a five day "cooling off period" in which management agreed to offer no overtime, as long as local discussions were taking place with the union to identify areas where overtime and temporary promotion could be worked.

But there was no consultaThe acceptance by Ford workers of a 21.5% pay offer, and by BOC workers of a 20-month deal giving a 30.5% increase, indicate the kind of level which management in profitable sectors of private industry are being forced to concede in order to avoid militant strike action.

In Fords, the deal, though not sufficient to improve living standards, and offering no real concessions on the shorter working week, will be just about sufficient to keep real wages level with inflation since the nine week strike last November.

But negotiators abandoned the fight for a cost-of-living clause that would have provided protection against inflation in the coming year.

£1.75 £6.00 11.00 £6.50 £8.00 ub/six months/one year lose Nevertheless the fact that Ford workers are one of the few sections of workers to have broken approximately even with inflation over two years shows the impact of the 1978 strike.

Workers in the public sector and in so-called "loss making" industries must take note: only all-out action for catching up claims, linked to cost of living clauses provides the key to defence of living standards.

The longer such action is put off, the more jobs, wages and working conditions will come under the Tory hammer. crisis onto some of the lowest paid people in the country.

It is only the repeated retreats on the cuts by public sector union leaders and their refusal to confront the Tory government, which has given local authorities the nerve to make such an offer.

If accepted, it would leave union officials dutybound to assist in imposing the cuts in manning levels sought by management.

The deal and those union leaders who defend it must be thrown out. There must be all out national strike action for a living wage in •the public sector, for the rejection of cash limits and for mass action to bring down the Tory government.