[It looks as if BL workers will reject…]
Socialist Press1980 1980-02-06Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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It looks as if BL workers will reject the 5% plus strings which they have been offered on their annual Ballot papers dropped through workers' doors on Saturday morning.
In a massive publicity campaign involving statements delivered by post, half a dozen different, posters displayed throughout the plants and a thirty minute slot for Edwardes on TV just before the ballot, management urged acceptance of the deal.
Their main argument was that to reject the deal would be tantamount to a vote for strike action.
Unfortunately for them such an argument was no deterrent to rejection of the offer; it is what workers are looking for anyway!
. A TV team stood for an hour outside the Cowley Assembly Plant last Friday trying to find a worker who intended to vote in favour of the package; but they couldn't even find one opposed to strike action against it!
A mass meeting earlier that day had given an enthusiastic reception to the convenors as they advocated a massive rejection of the deal.
At Rover Solihull a mass meeting held at the same time voted unanimously to reject the Yet the leadership given workers has been a disgrace.
Having only just handed the control of the secret ballot over to the management, the Leyland Cars Joint Negotiating Committee have responded to management propaganda with protests that the ballot "has nothing to do with strike action" (Grenville Hawley).
If the deal receives a massive rejection they say they will seek further negotiations. with the management and express fears that the BL issue will get "tangled up" with the steel strike!
Such talk is a betrayal.
If the steel workers are defeated BL workers will face a difficult task.
If BL workers join the steel workers against the government -together they can win.
If the ballot rejects the offer the LCJNC must be forced to act.
The review has been negotiated on a corporate basis, the membership have been consulted on a corporate basis, if the ballot goes in favour of the unions there must be a decision from the LJNC, endorsed by a convenors' conference, for an immediate all-out strike throughout BL.