Cowley workers prepare to strike against 2,500 at Babcock Industrial & Wilcox told to package Newsletter No crack in

busmen's solidarity MDLAND Red bus workers at the six militant Black country garages last week-end went on unoiicial strik for the tenth successive Saturday in support of their claim for increased pay and bonus payments. There was no crack in their solidarity, in spite of pressure from. local officials of the Transport and General Workers' Union.

In addition to the six Black Country garages, the majority of crews at Hinckley, Leicestershire, were on strike.

Alderman A. Silcox, district organiser of the union, went down to Stourbridge on Wednesday to address a special meeting of all Black Country garage committees. His purpose was reported to be to try to get them to resume Saturday working now that Ray Gunter, Minister of Labour, has set up a committee of enquiry into their pay claim.

But the Black Country busmen have no confidence that a satisfactory offer will result from this enquiry.

They have stated flatly that they regard it as a stalling device, and that solidarity will be maintained until the five points of their claim are met.

Mr. Jim Warren, secretary of the Oldbury garage, said: It looked like a bit of political manoeuvring, the way the union chiefs instantly said, "Right, call off the strike!" as soon as Gunter suggested an enquiry.' "The way we see it, he added, 'it's not the job of union leaders to play along with the government in holding down wages. It's their job to fight for better pay and conditions for their members.' Referring to 'the weakness at the top' in the union, he spoke with some bitterness of 'the way they've ignored US and pushed us to one side'.

Mr. Warren had high praise for the solidarity of the Black Country busmen.

'In this garage there has been no wavering at all. Not one man has said he wants to A take up a struggle against the infamous GAIN engineering workers are preparing to package deal agreement, signed by the union leaders and the employers.

Notice has been given of a strike which is to begin on Monday, March 29, at the Pressed Steel Company, Cowley, near Oxford, which will hit many of the main large motor car companies.

Eight hundred skilled workers "substantial wage increase' which the engineering industry's negotiating machinery without success.

In addition transport workers at Lucas have come out on an unofficial strike. The irm have a virtual monopoly in the supply of dynamo starters and lamps to the motor industry.

Those involved in the Cowley.. stoppage make and repair dies, Jigs and tools, including machine tools. Their stoppage could bring a large part of the motor industry to a halt.

The claim which was lodged by the AEU in November is the first to be presented since the union decided to withdraw from Clause Seven of the Pressed Steel negotiating procedure which lays down that all six unions with timeworkers at the factory shall negotiate jointly on basic rates.

Hold back

Workers state that this particular clause has been used by Transport and General Workers' Union officials to hold back the claims by all sections of workers.

There was, in fact, a dispute arising out of the use of this clause in May 1963. The outcome was an increase given on the lieu rate - a bonus which all 4,000 time workers receive in lieu of piecework earnings — to settle all outstanding claims.

Union members base their present claim on five main points. the crate en because of ner the crattsmen because or nev methods of work and technical improvements which require a higher standard of work.

2. Since 1954 the position of the toolmakers compared with the pay of other grades has worsened.

3. Comparisons with the pay of toolmakers in the car industry locally and nationally showed that since 1959.

are making a claim for a has already been through when the lieu rate agreement containing clause seven was signed, toolmakers had dropped to the bottom of the league.

4. Apprentices being trained at Pressed Steel to become the craftsmen of the future should receive better pay.

5. The company's financial position proved beyond any shadow of a doubt its ability to make such a just offer.

Action

Like many other workers in the car industry such as those at the British Motor Corporation, Pressed Steel workers are not going to stand idly by and see their cost of living going up • and up without taking action.

Not only are they challenging Pressed Steel they are challenging the whole agreement between their union leaders and the employers to hold back wages for three years.

Their struggle is the same as that of all other engineering workers and apprentices against the package deal.

Strikers from Pressed Steel must join with other workers in the engineering industry throughout the Midlands and the rest of the country in a massive lobby of the AEU National Committee when it meets in Blackpool in April to demand a reversal on the decision of the package deal.

The struggles at BMC and Pressed Steel must not be seen merely as isolated disputes. They are a fight against the package deal which offers many workers an increase of only 3s. a week per year.

If this attempt to cut workers' standards is to be defeated then all engineering workers must support the actions of the Pressed Steel toolmakers and the Lucas transport workers.

seamen

W. Hogarth, General Secretary of the union, stated that the able seaman is now guaranteed a rise of wages from f47 to £59 7s. 6d. a month. "But the f47 was for a 40-hour week. Seamen who worked 56 hours were paid overtime. Now, their basic working week is to be 56 hours at sea and 40 hours in port.

Seamen on deep sea ships calculated that they could lose as much as fl 12s. a month. This is because their wages are paid over a calendar month and the rise in pay does not compensate for the overtime they would have earned previously.

Endorse

Agreement was made behind the backs of the men. By 28 votes • to seven, the Executive Council of the union decided last week to endorse the pact with the employers.

The union's national conference in May will be called upon to ratify the agreement but by then it will have been in operation for about six weeks.

A union official blamed alien elements' for the anger amongst seamen.

"There is a political element entering into this, geeing up the membership, he announced. Certainly the members are 'geedup', but that has been done by those who signed the agreement.

Branches of the NUS at Newcastle, Sunderland, South Shields, North Shields and Blyth have all voted against the agreement.

South Shields is demanding a 40-hour week, at sea and in port; a E5 a month increase, double time for Sunday work, and time and a half for overtime.

Leeds — 34 vote against package deal AT the quarterly meeting of the Amalgamated Engineering Union shop stewards in Leeds on Tuesday, March 16, a strong vote against the package deal was achieved in spite of the determined efforts to force a large vote in favour.

After a national committee member described the package deal in glowing terms a resolution from George Manns stewards was put to the meeting. It called the package deal a wage freeze and demanded that the National Committee reject it and instruct the executive council to place a claim for an immediate substantial wage increase.

With 34 voting for the resolution the right wing only succeeded in getting a vote of 40 against which shows signs of a determined resistance to the package deal.

The Leeds engineering industry has been quiet for years and this vote shows real signs of an opposition to the agreement.

return to work

From BOB SHAW, Our Scottish Correspondent

INVENOR at Babcock and Wilcox, Renfrew, Scotland, recommended a return to work to 2,500 engineers at ecommended a return to work to 2,500 engineers at a strike meeting held on Wednesday this week. had downed tools following a dispute in which a shop steward and two workers were sacked. They are still without jobs.

Although the strike showed strength-it was joined by 400 members of the Scottish Transport and General Workers' Union -the Communist Party dominated district executive has recommended a return to work on the basis of negotiations that will take up to six weeks.

The stoppage started after, contrary to long established practice, the shop foreman was reported to have instructed two labourers to do a slinger's job.

The two men concerned normally worked as assistants to burners and received 4d. per hour less than a slinger.

They claim that to do a slinger's job requires special training and that a question of safety is involved.

SUPERVISE

The men allege they were required to supervise the removal from a wagon of 1f inch steel plates each weighing 3 tons and measuring 14 feet by 6 feet. Because the men refused to do the job they were immediately sacked. On the next day a labourer was again instructed to do the job.

No agreement could be reached by the shop stewards so the whole of the forge stopped work and demanded the reinstatement of the two labourers.

The 68 men of the forge went back to work and attempts were made to reach a negotiated settlement. What happened was that not only did the management not budge an inch but the forge Shop steward was sacked for allegedly launching a personal attack on the foreman.

The strike now poses a similar question as did the Remington strike of last year, in which a AEU and it is one of their shop stewards who has been attacked.

In the Remington factory the sacking was because of an alleged slowness of work and at Babcock and Wilcox it is because of the demands of the management that labour be transferable irrespective of wage rates and even disregarding training.

The question of supporting action to defeat the employers has already been raised by the members of the Scottish TGWU.

BLACK

They are asking dockers to support their fight by blacking goods at the docks. This matter is to be raised with the Executive of the Scottish TGWU.

The attack by Babcock and Wilcox has all the appearance of being part of a concerted attack in the Paisley district covering firms such as Remington and Pressed Steel.

It is time that the members of the AEU in the area and other unions demanded that action be taken by the union to put a stop to attacks on shop stewards and other factory militants.

Polish