Jaguar's £20 strike

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The Workers Socialist League is a Trotskyist organisation fighting to build a revolutionary leadership in the working class to lead the mounting opposition to the betrayals of both 'left' and right wing Labour and trade union leaders and the Communist Party, as they attempt to enforce wage control, sackings, speed-up and public service As workers take up the struggle against these policies they are forced by the sheer weight of forces opposing them to confront political questions. Only with an understanding of the role of the labour bureaucracy and a programme to unite the broadest sections of The Workers Socialist League is the only movement that sets out to do this, fighting consistently in the working class for transitional demands, which go beyond simply trade union militancy to raise the political questions to workers and prepare the forms of organisation and the knowledge necessary for the struggle for socialism.

As a result we have been at the forefront of struggles against the cuts, against wage control, for unionisation, and against redundancy. We have done more than any other tendency to fight the introduction of 'workers' participation' in industry. And we have strongly supported the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement, which Has set out to show the link between the reactionary policies of the Social Contract and bureaucratic dictatorship in both the unions and But our practical struggle for the continuity of the principles and method of Trotsky's Transitional Programme is in no way a task confined to Britain. It requires an attention and involvement in the struggles of the working class internationally, and the fight to reconSo there has been a consistent drive within the WSL to deepen and enrich the movement's understanding of the history and the present crisis of the Fourth International as an essential part of our We urge all readers who agree on the need for revolutionary leaderchin and the remande wo nut forward to find nuit mAro the Labour Party.

Stewards representing striking ¡Jaguar workers voted on August 24 not to meet for a further 2 weeks.

The strike, in support of a £20 a wcek claim, has almost closed own the Radford plant in Coventry-only the toolroom and the staff are working.

REFUSED Workers at R idford refused to è un ie Pha se 2 in April and prese it claim includes a contincuts.

workers in struggle can a way forward be found.

struct the Trotskyist Fourth International.

initiative towards its reconstruction, uation of the secure carnings plan (drawn up to compe insate for the switch from piecewor k to Measured Day Work in 1974 ) which also expired in April.

Management have so far offered the 5% due under Phase 2 and indeed sent a letter to the workforce detailing their intention to include this payment in the September 1 pay packets.

With only the toolroom not uo strike or laid off they alone will get this rise.

At the Browns plant Lane Jaguar voted. to to settle a series wing ste the workers have reluctantly accept the 5% they refused for in April -but only after of manoeuvres by right-wards.

SUBMITTED On returning from holiday Blown's Lane workers found that Radford had submitted the £20 claim.

There was a clear opportunity to forge unity by following the Radford lead.

Not wishing to expose themselves right wing stewards argued against taking a vote on the claim at the shop stewards committe and a decision was taken to put it to a mass meeting with no recommendation.

To the dismay of the right wing the mass mecting voted to support the £20 claim.

Faced with this difficult position the right wing submitted the claim and approached the shop floor with a proposal to post strike notices within five days.

LAY-OFFS

There was no strategy to win the strike put forward and with the knowledge that the Lucas strike would lead to lay-offs fairly soon anyway the mass mecting voted against a strike.

The right wing were triumphant and gained a majority (due to a large number of abstentions) for putting the management's 5% offer to a further mass meeting.

In face of this sort of leadership meeting voted to accept the Several days later the letter arrived from management saying the money would be paid on September 1 anyway. Brown's Lanc is now laid off due to the Lucas strike.

The lack of leadership al Brown's Lane is mirrored at Radford where again no strategy for winning the strike has been put forward.

To date there have been no mass meetings at all (the strike votes were taken at section incetings) and