Stokes Fears Sit-ins

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Giving evidence to a Commons Comittee investigating the motor industry Stokes, as chairman of British Leyland, and speaking of the company's avoidence of plant closures said: "An arbitrary cut-back would have produced a reaction from workers and could have led to sit-ins and caused other social problems while it would have been difficult to find a buyer for any part of the Corporation."

This statement reflects the fear of the employers of occupations and their hesitation in taking on organised sections of the working class in battles on unemployment battles which must now commenc driven forward by the economic crisis, as with the announcement of 1,000 redundancies at Jaguars.

Stokes' statement also demonstrates the crucial importance of the fight carried out since the formation of British Leyland by WSL members (formerly members of thi WRP) in the giant BL plant at Cow ley. Cowley was the only major part of the corporation where any occupation policy has been consistently fought for.

MERGER The fight against plant closures and rationalisation was carried forward from Cowley from the first day of the merger. At the first joint conference of the Leyland and BMC Joint Shop Stewards Com mittees held on March 20th 1968, Alan Thornett one of the two Cow. ley delegates, raised the question of the plant closures and rationalisation posed by the merger and moved that immediate preparation begin to organise resistance.

Eddy McGarry as chairman - who had opened the conference with the statement that "this merger is in the best interests of the Company, the nation and our members" (in that order) - attacked Thornett for speaking with the "impetuosity of youth" and said that talk of plant closures was nonsense.

Much has happened since then. Measured Day Work has "rationalised" the standard of living of the workers to about a half of what it was. The only maior resistance oth than Jaguar's having been a six week strike at Cowley. Having got MDW in at a heavy price BL now turned to speed up. Pat Lowry, director of industrial relations giving evidence at the same Commons Committee as Stokes, said that the corporation "suffered from overmanning" and that divisional executives were "vigorously" trying to reduce labour needs this year.

Resistance again centred in Cowle Management began their speed up offensive last winter by breaking the mutuality agreement. The resultant 2½ week strike ended with the victimisation of Alan Thornett who was the architect of the agreement and who had been in the fore. front of its defence.

BANKRUPT Leyland now bankrupt - propped up by Government finance as the Labour Government avoids nationalisation - is driven to undertake the fight it has avoided for so long. As the escalation of the economic crisis internationally finds its sharpest expression in the motor vehicle At this point MeGarry and the Stalinists play the same role now as they did in 1968. They are rushing headlong into Leyland's proposed "National Assembly of Shop Stewards" designed to suck selected bureaucrats from convenor level into close collaboration with corporate management, involving them in their rationalisation and speed uf plans on the basis of "making the industry efficient Ir the introduction to their document (drafted by MeGarry) compiled for Benn, the Executive Committee of the Combine Committee say "the constructive criticisms offered incour proposals will most certainly assist in making the PLMC a viable profitable organisation that will provide full employ ment and job security for all our inembers" • (SP emphasis)

It is true they go on to call for 'nationalisation' and 'participation' but everything is centred around 'efficiency. It is this which will lead them into supporting closures and redundancies and speed up because closures and redundancies and speed up are the only way in which 'efficiency' can be improved.

Leyland proposals include (as in Benn's Bill) for the books to be opened to selected bureaucrats providin 'confidentiality is protected'! In other words so long as the working class don't get a look at the books.

Collaboration goes to the highest level. Aiter the statement by Briar Walden, Labour MP for Perry Barr, that Cowley and Bathgate should be closed, Jack Jones wrote to Wilson as Prime Minister drawing his attention to the benefits the Company had reaped from the victimisation of Alan Thornett last Spring.

Jones says: "With regard to the Cowley operation, our understanding is that there has been a substantial improvement in performance since April 1974 (the exact time of the victimisation struggle SP) and we believe the Company will confirm this impression."

Jones, of course, was neavily involved in the events at that time and no doubt Cowley was part of the Social Contract worked out with Wilson. The Workers Revolutionary Party in Workers Press February 10th, referring to Jones' letter, incredibly headlined "Wüso snubs Jones" and says the letter has brought out "fresh tensions" between Wilson and Jones. No mention is made to reference to the victimisation.

The opposite is the case. Jones who is now a straight right winger is leading the pack in collaboration with the employers. Strengthened by this collaboration Leyland is on the offensive. In the Cowley plant victimisation is again on the agenda. In an unprecedented wave of disciplinary actions Leyland is cracking down on any worker who shows the least resistance to speed up or objects to his working conditions. In this Leyland responds not only to the pressures of the crisis but to the move to the right in the Tory party with the election of Thatcher In Cowley resentment at the wage offer of £5.60, the pressures of speed up, the breach of agreement, the tightening of discipline and individual victimisations grows every day.

Struggle is at this point held back by management threats of plant closure and the collaboration of the leadership - but bitter struggle can erupt with great speed.

Workers in Cowley, as in other parts of the Leyland Corporation face hard struggles in which leadership will be the decisive question. The WSL puts forward the only programme in preparation for this.

Next edition of Socialist Press will carry a full report on wages, shorttime and redundances in British Leyland.