Pressed Steel workers force bosses to retreat

From BOB SHAW, Our Scottish I HE strike of 4,000 workers at the Linwood, Paisley factory of Pressed Steel to prevent the sacking of 70 men marks a new stage in the fight against sackings. This factory is vital to the operation of the British Motor Corporation, which produces commercial vehicles at Bathgate, 30 miles away. Pressed Steel will also provide car bodies for the nearby Rootes factory now being completed, which will start its output of small cars some time in the spring of 1963.

A lot is at stake at Linwood. Wage rates are £7 to f8 per week less than those paid in Oxford and other parts of England by Pressed Steel.

This means the slashing of production costs to capture a large slice of the European market for the Rootes car. As a result, skirmishing over wage rates has gone on at the Pressed Steel factory for the last year.

The strike last week took place when the management openly stated that they intended to cut costs by sacking time-wage workers and that 70 men would have to go.

STEWARDS FOUGHT The shop stewards said they would fight against any sackings which would only add to the unemployment problem in the area. They countered with a proposal for a 40-hour week, even if this had to be with loss of pay.

This was flatly refused by the management.

The Pressed Steel workers were backed by the Paisley District Committee of the AEU which includes the convenors of such factories as Rolls-Royce, Remington Rand and Hillington, where sackings have also either taken place or been notified.

They anxiously wait to see whether the Pressed Steel men can

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accomplish what they have been unable to do-prevent sackings. The Pressed Steel shop stewards were also in touch with the anemployed in Paisley where there are more than 2,000 signing on at the Labour Exchange.

After two days the management were forced to retreat.

They contacted trade union officials and asked for a resumption of work pending negotiations. The sackings were to be postponed in the meantime for two weeks.

The Pressed Steel strike follows action by other sections of workers in Scotland against unemployment. The victories of Scottish builders and plumbers for the 40-hour week are of major importance.

The employers on the Clyde are amongst the hardest and most ruthless exploiters of labour to be found anywhere.

They cannot be softened by sentiment and they have the police to deal with any pressure which is confined to street demonstrations. Long unemployment is a terrible experience. In Glasgow the frustration of bad housing adds to the problem. A carefully thoughtout strategy to fight against this is needed which will start with those successes now being won at Pressed Steel.

From this a beginning can be made in rebuilding the militant leadership on the Clyde. The employers can then be engaged in battle.