WHO SIGNED THE SPEED-UP DEAL AT LONGBRIDGEP

OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRESPONDENT I don't regard the wages system as a principle. The Trots do, silly buggers. But you have to have some system. Communist countries use Measured-Day Work come to that. I'd regard my job as to get the best possible deal, whatever the system. If you're asking what system is the best, I'd say piecework, but if it comes to having a confrontation and smashing the whole thing ир, l'a say • no? - Dick Etheridge, shop stewards leader at Austin Longbridge, Birmingham (quoted in "The New Militants', by Paul Ferris). DICK ETHERIDGE and the leaders of the joint shop stewards committee at Austin Longbridge have opened the door to a major speed-up drive throughout the BritishLeyland combine.

For the 'standard daywork' agreement signed by Etheridge and his committee a few hours before the Tory pay-control law was announced, four weeks ago, is a dangerous document by any standards.

In 25 pages, Leyland has set a sharp-toothed trap for carworkers. And Etheridge, a Communist Party member, has handed the company the string to jerk it closed The main points of the deal, which lasts until May 1974, are as follows: • Abolition of piecework its replacement by a new, flatduction studies at BSI 100 for rate pay system. • Scrapping of the existing structure of piecework paygrades and the redivision of all workers in the Longbridge complex into two new grades: main grade and semi-direct grade. • Union co-operation with 'all professionally recognized techniques of industrial engineering' • Establishment of 'fair and reasonable' work standards based on an effort level of 100 according to the British Standards Institute scale. • In the interim period before these work standards are established, provisional standards will be set by industrial engineers. These will be based on the existing piecework manning and output levels. • Union acceptance that in the event of any disagreement on manning or work content, there will be continuous probetween two and seven shifts. • Mobility of labour both from the main to the semidirect grade, and across the entire Longbridge complex. • Flexibility of labour in a particular area of the complex between main-grade trade groups and throughout the semi-direct grade. • New pay rates of £46 for main-grade workers and £39.10 for semi-directs, rising to £48 and £40.80 in November 1973. These provide increases of £4.50-£9.75 for 40 hours, including £2 on fringe benefits.

CONCEDED The money issue is, of course, irrelevant when dealing with an agreement of this type. However high the rates offered they are immediately eaten away by price increases, rent rises and higher transport costs.

Leyland's Austin-Morris division estimate that the deal will in any case put only 8 to 10 per cent on their wages billa cost they will soon recoup in higher production and reductions in labour if the deal is allowed to operate.

But the concessions on principle which the deal makes, and which provide for massive and continuous increases in effort within the Longbridge complex will be permanent. And they will form the spearhead of company efforts to tighten. up on the MDW deals it has already imposed other factories in the division.

The key concessions relate to the issue of work standards.

It is agreed that these standards will be established on the basis of BSI 100, which It is, says the note, 'the rate of output which qualified workers will naturally achieve without over-exertion as an average over the working day or shift provided they adhere to the specified method and provided they are motivated to apply themselves to their work'. More simply, it means they must work at full pelt.

The agreement goes on to lay out a procedure for arriving at accepted work standards on 'his basis. workload. But the basis of the effort' sophy of getting the e best possible deal whatever the system', with the corresponding sections of the Austin-Morris assembly plant deal at Cowley, Oxford.

This insists: Final imple-