[The continuing battle between Ford workers and management…]
Socialist Press1977 1977-04-27Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 11 →
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The continuing battle between Ford workers and management at the Halewood plant over the company's attempt to impose harsh disciplinary procedures has erupted once more.
In January a two week strike by production workers over the sacking of one man in the Body Plant brought the factory to a standstill. This time it is the toolmakers and maintenance fitters who have come out in defence of ten suspended colleagues.
The strike followed the company's continued refusal to go through established procedures whereby workers are represented by stewards in - questions of discipline.
The walkout occurred оп Thursday 15 April when the ten and so and "leaving work early" . Production at Halewood is now at a standstill and 1,000 men at Fords Southampton plant have also been laid off.
Fords have insisted that the dispute is a national question and have called for the men to return to work so that the matter can be taken up by the company's National Joint Negotiating Council. They have laughably added:
"The disciplinary procedure at Halewood is better than at any other Ford plant"
The stewards • however have rejected this proposal outright, on the basis that the dispute is a local one in which management are in breach of nationally laid down procedures.
This latest dispute proves that nothing was really resolved by the January strike. This strike must continue until the company are forced to drop their attempts at That is, extending the post workers' refusal to collect an deliver the post from and to th factory, to the point where it employers are prevented frol obtaining their mail.
Tom Jackson's UPW Executiv will not support such a black a the grounds that they are prevente from doing so by the High Cou injunction obtained at the time c the threatened South African posti NO SYMPATHY UPW rank and file have r sympathy with this judgement, as means they effectively lose right to strike for any reason.
The Communist Party poses: the foremost defender of the stril -but will not launch a campai in UPW branches or use i positions on the UPW executive aE London District Committee to fig for a total black of Grunwick pos and defiance of the High Cou injunction.
While the CP blocks such actio help is urgently needed to suppa
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