Hotels Blacking Action "illegal' Tgwu 10 Week Cowley Pay Strike

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The strike by 56 workers at the Parts Division of British Leyland's Cowley pl ant, which has put some spare parts into the category of rare collectors' items, is now in its tenth week.

And in the words of the senior steward of the TGWU, Pat Evans, "It's the strongest strike I've seen in Cowley since I've been here".

The militancy of the workers, which has led them to walk out four times over a claim for extra payment for extra work, has shown up not only the mood of workers throughout Leyland, but also the length to which the tentacles of the Social Contract can stretch. • The strike has led Leyland t to lock out 600 other workers. It began in early December after workers were taken off the clock.

Though they had finished the work for the day, Leyland refused to pay them for the afternoon they were not present.

Leyland breached an agreement by which Parts workers did not clock out after overtime, and under which senior stewards were to be consulted before workers there were taken off the clock.

(The flexible hours worked by the section made life easier for the management by be selected in workers to clear end of the day).

Workers would be expected to complete up to double the amount of work in eight hours before completing their measured day work target.

Pat Evans said workers were sticking to their demand for more money for the same number of hours - because of this extra work - and refused to be put off by the size of the issues they have raised.

"I've never known such strength of feeling. The strength of the case is that they are right.

allowing parts to time for other them before the But now the issue of whether workers should clock out after overtime has been superceded by the issue of what will happen to the backlog of orders that has built up.

Leyland offered . first £6 and then £12 for the original dispute, admitting that it was practically their fault the workers had gone home. But they have refused to offer any extra pay to deal with the backlog of orders.

Workers there are paid according to how many orders they complete. After the strike, during which time the company claims to have scrapped the original orders, these orders would simply demand twice as many parts.

Blokes only see it as a sectional issue but it's getting a hell of a big issue. It's getting like a quagmire. It's the same issue in every plant. harder for more monell only work The importance of the strike is also being played down by the mass media. Not only have the major issues of principle not been raised, but the fact that fleets of cars -including police vehicles and some of Leyland's own fleet of vehicles are off the road because they cannot get parts is not mentioned.

What has emerged is the myster 'X' factor, never understood by union officials or Labour mock "lefts'.

That extra ingredient, which has pushed to one side questions of the social contract, is the strength of the working class.

At the Parts Division of Leyland, as is now flaring in other factories throughout the country, that strength is turning on the offensive.

A clear illustration is the attitude of the workers locked out because of the dispute. Pat Evans said:

"I haven't known anyone who has come up to me and been hostile. The impression I get is that although the blokes are unhappy they've got a lot of sympathy. When they go back they will face the same problem." Tories that they will twist and turn to prevent any action against it.

The effect on the strikers was immediate. Some who had wavered after 12 weeks on strike resolved that they would continue the struggle - not only against the employers, but also against the union officials.

Fellow workers at Gardner Merchant canteens in Cowley who were set to walk off the job in support of Randolph workers were ordered to stay at work by the district official in Oxford, David Buckle.

This was, he said, because "talks" were about to start. Those talks lasted just long enough for the demands for action sent up by every democratic layer necessary.

In Oxford a demonstration has been called for 11.00am next Saturday at the Linton Lodge to march past the Randoph and to hold a rally at Ruskin College. That demonstration must be given full support The twists and turns of the union officials are on the same level as the threat by the director of the Linton Lodge to sell his hotel or close it rather than admit the union and take back the sacked workers.

Both ате extra obstacles to winning the strikes - but obstacles that must be overcome.