Long term plot against Cowley 9

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Damning evidence of a concerted right wing plot to remove all their opponents within the TGWU in British Leyland's Cowley Assembly Plant has been produced as part of the fight to defend the "Cowley 9" militants, who face disciplinary action at the hands of union officials.

Cowley supporters of the Campaign for Democracy in the Labour Movement have produced a nine-page summary of events in the Assembly Plant during the last 3½ years.

This paints a vivid background to the moves by TGWU bureaucrats to victimise the Cowley 9who include the plant convenor Bob Fryer, three deputy convenors, two stewards and three TGWU mem bers.

One deputy convenor-Alan for expulsion from the union, and two others, Frank Corti and Tom White, recommended to be banned from office for life.

The new document describes Leyland's original victimisation of Alan Thornett, when in 1974 they refused him recognition as deputy convenor and shows how this led to the removal of both Thornett and of convenor Bob Fryer from office.

It goes on to catalogue the moves by the TGWU National, Regional and District Officials to exclude Thornett and all left wingers from positions within the union in Cowley.

The TGWU organisation on the plant has been bureaucratically split twice to set up new branches; Joint Shop Stewards and TGWU Automotive District Committees have been closed down; thousands of pounds have been spent by Leyland in arranging meetings and in I:-- intancilio ramnainning by a squad 40 right wing shop stewards; and repeated "inquiries" and kangaroo courts have been staged by TGWU bureaucrats-all to no avail.

Last December saw Fryer, Thornett, Corti and White all reelected to leading positions by a shop floor ballot in the Assembly Plant, and the right wing decisively rejected.

But Michael Edwardes and the Lib-Lab government are imperiously demanding a full scale attack on jobs and working conditions throughout British Leyland, and the TGWU leaders are publicly committed to that objective.

To do that any opposition must be ruthlessly stamped outhence the McCarthyite TGWU witch-hunt against the left wing leadership in Cowley.

They are now accused of such laughable "crimes" as having a "depth of disagreement" with the union's General Executive ronnil on wsmar noliry walkThornett ing out of a District Committee meeting, and revealing the size of the 5/293 Branch Secretary's commission.

As the new document points out: records in the union, who built the TGWU in the plant at the time when it was Company policy to sack anybody caught recruiting into the union, should be put on charges such as these is, in our opinion, an outrage"

Over 90 sponsors within the TGWU, including convenors, branch officers and shop stewards have called a conference for TGWU members to hear the full facts of the case and "to discuss the best means of preventing a serious blow to trade union rights"

The conference, which is restricted to TGWU members will be held at 1pm on April 8 in Cowley Community Centre, In the meantime TGWU members everywhere should move resolutions in branches, stewards committees and other bodies of the union condemning the witchhunt and demanding the dropping of the charges. the newspaper barons' organisation, called for the expulsion of union members (and therefore dismissal from their jobs) if they refused to ge through "recognise: procedures negotiated b! their leaders"

He claimed that unior officials had 'lost control e: their members"

Expelled

The trade union bureat cracy have already demor strated their willingness : attempt such measures : order to discipline their mer bers-NATSOPA chie O 'Brien temporarily expelle: the Times chapel NATSOPA in a previous 1= pute-but with reneu=: militancy among Fleet Stres printworkers in the face : the wage cutting policies : the Lib-Lab coalition. :: trade union bureaucrac! •: have no easy task should the attempt to discipline the: oun members.