Splitters Face Setback

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Attempts by the TGWU right wing in British Leyland's Cowley Assembly Plant to split the membership by creating a new TGWU Branch have met a sharp setback.

According to latest reports, the majority of the 5,300 TGWU members in the plant have rejected the new branch and are adamantly remaining in the existing two branches, 5/55 and 5/293.

As the 5,293 Branch Report, distributed to members last week, points out, "Members have voted by their actions against the policy of splitting and dividing the union"

The Report goes on to point their own initiative. Although it was supposed to be a free choice, this was not really the case.

Deputy Senior Stewards supporting the new branch have been engaged now for nearly two weeks full time, pressuring members to join the new branch. A number of other shop stewards who support the new branch have been released from their jobs on full pay to recruit people for the new branch.

Hardly any problems on the plant are being dealt with, because the whole machinery of the union is being used to persuade people to join the new branch.

Jim Barson. who was elected as donati corint dosari in asi wire Company, and given an organise the new branch.

Meanwhile, nobody is allowed to go round the plant to argue the case for the existing 5/293 Branch Frank Corti, the branch secretary is tied to his job in sub-Assembly.

The Report stresses that. whe members have in several cases bee= press-ganged into the new branch on false pretences, they are tree 3? any time to return to the 5 193 Branch.

Meanwhile, increasing numes of shop floor workers are pointur out that the failure of the sea branch to take a mason =: Member us! peer!:::e

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