Car Workers Defended

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The "Second Report" of the Open the Books Committee in the British Leyland Cowley Assembly Plant has like the preceeding Interim Report, become the centre o a struggle.

Based on the defence of the workers on the Princess track ag ainst management charges of *shoddy work" and "skivers paradise" the report shows that they can only be effectively defended through the open the book demand: "Last Wednesday the Sun published an attack on ADO 71 track workers accusing them of "skivers paradise" and "shoddy work" . The same evening an even more vicious attack was presented on television based on Derek Whit takers management statement which claimed that only 4 OK jobs are produced per hour.... •...The purpose of the attacks was to discredit the ADO 71 workers and to undermine their resistance to speed up which management hope to force onto the tracks in 3 weeks time when the IEs have completed the sheets. .. ... 99% of all rejects have nothing to do with the assembly worker.

SWINDON STRIKE The strike at Deloro-Stelite in Swindon is now in its 3rd week. Origiually the dispute started over the working of a system of flexi-time.

Then the management stepped in and sacked a senior steward Steve Price from the foundry. It is this victimisation, for countermanding a management instructio which is the reason these workers are on strike and mounting a 24 hour picket.

It is quite plain that the management (the firm is part of the BOC group) is carrying out this attack on the union organisation as a preparation for speed-up and attacks on the conditions and wages which the strong union organisation in the plant has established. They are due to faulty components and shortages. Therefore when management begin to hand out suspensions right, left and centre for "bad workmanship" the full facts must be revealed ...

A great deal of faulty material is at present being fitted on all tracks. This is material which is not recognised as reject by the company but makes the job of the assembly worker that much harder We have obtained a list which is an example of such material (whic] is printed in the report)... ... Why does so much faulty material come in? It would be wrong to blame workers in the component factories who face exactly the same problems as ourselves. ....The component industry as a whole is extremely large in comparison with the motor industry. The total share value of the top 13 component firms is £220m compared with British Leyland's value of £53m before Ryder.

This raises some interesting questions as to the links between motor manufacturers and the component suppliers. For example - has capital recently moved out of Leyland into The three man inquiry team, set up by the Labour Party's organisation committee to report on the appeal of right-winger Reg Prentice against his removal as parliamentary candidate for Newham North East, has reported that there is no constitutional grounds for his re-instatement.

The move follows the vote of no confidence in another right winger Frank Tomney passed by the Hammersmith North Labour Such developments are in sharp contrast to the 'left' talk of Heffer and others inside the Parliamentary Labour Party who make no moves for the removal of Wilson.

The non-activity of the lefts' components? Have some of those same people who have argued that Leyland is not profitable been making a rake off in components and subsidiaries?

What is raised here is the integrater nature of the whole automotive industry. When we say it is basic that before workers are made redundant, put on short time, speeded up or attacked for "bad workmanship" that the books be opened and the real position revealed -this must apply to the whole industry and the call for full nationalisation must include components and suppliers.....

The report was endorsed by a fúll meeting of the plant's 200 shop ste stewards and circulated last week. Like the open the books committee first report it was carried in the local and national press and attacked by management who banned it's circulation under the threat of disciplinary action.

* A mass meeting of workers from the Princess track voted overwhelmingly to reject a joint manage- * ment inquiry into company allegation of shoddy work and for an inquiry to be conducted by the open the books committee.

strengthens the right wing who in