INDUSTRIAL NE EPS STAY OUT FOR E15 Strike busting bid falls flat

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700 members of the TGWU at Export Packing Services in Banbury near Oxford have completed their third week of strike action for a £15 per week pay claim.

The plant does export packing Bork for British Leyland and Chrysier.

Last week was a week of threats and pressures from management.

It started on the Monday with a massive Grunwick-style bussing more to break the picket line.

Management sent through the post. to each worker, details of 30 coaches and scores of pick-up points covering a 20 mile radius round the factory.

Workers were told that if they a not report for work on wonday the factory would have to be i permanently closed.

They were advised not to travel ¡to work in their own cars, but to juse the coaches.

On Monday morning every thing Iwas ready. A hundred pickets were ¡on the gate and the police were ¡there 1o clear way for the ¡ecaches.

When the coaches arrived they were almost empty. Only a liny handful of workers had responded to the strike breaking move.

On Wednesday management Iried again. They made an offer of £5.15. For this they wanted a reduction in the labour force of 47, tightening up on rest periods and an extension of the working weck from 38 hours to 40 hours.

If this offer was not accepted, they said, they would sack the labour force first and then close down which would avoid paying redundancy money.

A mass meeting last Thursday rejected this ultimatum with only 13 votes in favour of the offer, and the strike continues.

The management's bluff has now been called. Preparations must be made to meet this threat if it is carried out.

The plant must be occupied if it is closed and workers in the motor industry approached to ensure that the work is blacked until the plant is re-opened, all the workers reinstated and the wage claim met in