Vauxhall proposals are unacceptable

clauses deal.

At Ellesmere Port, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering and Foundryworkers' district committee is calling members of the union to a mass meeting.

Their decision to work to rule in protest previous wording of the deal has already resulted in company laying them off two-and-a-half weeks.

In its York discussions with union officials last Thursday, Vauxhall refused to increase its pay offer of between 8d. and 10d. an hour.

From the outset, the new draft agreement stresses that even these increases have been negotiated within the terms of the 1968 Prices and Incomes Act.

And, although in a different form, the 'anti-strike' clauses are still there.

In an obvious ploy to drive

The first aim of all employers is a reduction of all portworkers in every country. For the bosses, the only way of offsetting the enormous costs of new docks and machinery is to save on labour costs-one more worker on the books over the minimum, even for a few hours, is too many. the minimum, for a hours, is World port workersunder attack -as modernization crisis deepens PAGE TWO ENORMOUS advances in the mechanics and methods of handling cargoes of all types are bursting out of their national capitalist limitations and highlighting the necessity of establishing a single standardized docks and shipping system throughout the world.

For a socialist society rid of private ownership of the means of production and purged of cut-throat competition, of the profit motive and of the class that lived by these methods, such technical achievements would present unlimited possibilities of co-ordination, simplification and planning of the collection and distribution of goods and materials on an international basis.

Such developments would bring a stupendous rise in productivity of labour to all ship and port workers concerned.

Brought under the immediate control of the workers themselves they would immediately create an easier, cleaner, healthier, safer more secure and more interesting working environment for all.

However, for the capitalist system these modern developments can present a terrifying prospect.

If the world-wide container system is on the cards, then which of the biggest container hire firms will corner major transportation markets?

How far will freight rates be slashed to attract customers ?

Which firms will control which routes, and which countries will be first to develop the deep-water, fully-equipped ILBURY DOCKS ON THE THAMES transport opportunities precost millions to buy and install This system particularly favours areas like north-west Europe with its canal network.

One ship capable of carrying 73 lighters will soon be running regularly between New Orleans and Rotterdam.

The development of jumbojet aircraft provides the possibility of carrying containers by air, as an economic alternative to sea travel.

In this situation, the one thing that the world's ports and shipping employers agree on is that the docks' and ships' labour forces must be completely broken down and remoulded to suit the new circumstances.

That is why the building of new modern docks means no security or ease-up on hours and rate of working for the docker.

Instead it means either being forced out of the industry or working a new system of week-ends and shifts complemented with a time specification sheet and a possibility of being 'on call' at all times.

In fact, the first aim of all employers is a reduction of all port workers in every country.

For the bosses, the only way of offsetting the enormous costs of new docks and machinery is to save on labour costs-one more worker on the books over the minimum, even for a few hours, is too many.

McKinsey and Co, in a 1967 survey, put the reductions required in British ports at 90 per cent. How the cuts are introduced depends on the strength of the dockers' own organizations from country to country.

BOSSES METHODS The employers' methods range from outright cutting of registers in places where they have the upper hand, to indirect methods in places where the workers have a great deal of strength.

These include: reductions through early retirement, Jump sums paid for leaving, a noTIR October 1969

Performance, methods, layou split between workers at nd technique Ellesmere Port and its two southern plants, the company stewards, from both the enproposed at York that these gineers and the vehicle buildclauses should not be written ers unions, told the Workers' into the deal but agreed at Press at the weekend that local level—in an exchange of these proposals were quite letters between district union unacceptable and must be officials and plant personnel thrown out. managers.

The York draft for these Pair tore weeks na letters states that the unions Will support the disputes pro- separate dispute the stewards cedure and 'actively dis- stressed the need for united courage unauthorized action action by members of both outside procedure'. unions against the proposed The company will take 'such deal. remedial action as the situation warrants in the case of employees who violate the undertaking'.

The agreement itself has a clause agreeing that revisions standard Measured-Day accoull cuanges machine ATUA meeting 'Wages battle, unemployment and Workers' Press' Thursday, October 23, Queens Hote utland Stree Alliance