Ford Speed-up Fight
Socialist Press1977 1977-02-02Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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Attempts by Ford management at their Halewood plant to impose speed-up through the imposition of severe disciplinary measures have been met by a strike of 4,500 body plant workers.
The dispute which began on Thursday 20th January over the sacking of a welder is the biggest confrontation since the company's letter of November 15th last to all employees asserting "malpractice' and laying down new disciplinary conditions.
The letter was followed immediately by a number of dismissals and suspensions (about 100) provoking a series of stoppages in the period before Christmas without any major challenge to the company's measures.
Stewards in the body plant claim that management are ignoring established procedures and using the foremen as instruments in indiscriminately disciplining the workforce.
But it is not just a question of discipline and disciplinary procedures: at the same time the company are attempting to increase productivity through the stopping of overtime (until production targets are met).
Tha hostility to these measures was clearly expressed at the mass meeting of body plant workers held on Monday following the outbreak of the dispute. The vote for strike action was overwhelmingly carried with an 80% majority.
Apart from calling for official backing, however, the resolution from the shop steward's committee only called for ta satistactory written guarantee' from the company - and the interyention of Moss Evans (TGWU national officer in the motor industry).
PEACE FORMULA
Evans did in fact intervene - via regional organiser Dick Palmer -who organised a meeting between representatives of the stewards and management which produced a "peace formula' to be put to a mass meeting on Sunday.
The deal however came unstuck when Senior Stewards asked for a further meeting to clarify certain points.
The Company refused, saying that this was their final offer.
A meeting of the 40 Body Plant stewards on Saturday therefore voted to continue with the strike. This must be maintained until all attempts to impose speed up have been dropped.