Speed-up and union law the same fight

IN protest against the increase in production track workers struck work last week at Linwood, Scotland, which was recently acquired Company.

The management agreed that the schedules of car body production had been increased for this section from 15 to 18 per hour but claimed that more men were allocated to the section. The men claim that the track is never fully manned and that they are being forced to turn out the increased production with the same number of men.

The 160 men returned to work under a two-day standstill agreement to be followed by consultation and work study.

COMMISSION EVIDENCE Lord Rootes is one employer who believes in fining unofficial strikers. Published memorandum of evidence given to the Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers' Associations is a statement by him that the employers 'favoured a system which provides for a deduction from wages for an unofficial stoppage'.

When questioned by Lord Donovan, the chairman of the commission, who asked: 'If the employers could summons employees and take them before a court, would you be willing to do that?' , Lord Rootes said 'I think we would, sir.

If Lord Rootes had his way, then the 160 men who struck work over the production speedup, would be summonsed before a court and fined.

He knows that Wilson is preparing such a law to aid the employers and attack the trade unions so he feels confident in challenging car workers in this fashion.

TAKE UP CHALLENGE The shop stewards at Rootes and Rootes Pressings, the new name for the Pressed Steel Linvood tactory, should take up the hallenge and lead the campaign in the area against Wilson's anti-trade union legislation.

The Shop Stewards' Committee Rootes Pressings passed a resolution giving support to the January 26 lobby of parliament called by the Lambeth Trades Corncil, which was a powerful schedules, 160 Pressed • Steel, by the Rootes blow against the vicious anti-trade union legislation.

Does anyone doubt that, when backed by such a law, the car employers would hesitate to take advantage of it?

BACK CAMPAIGN

To defeat such an attack now means backing a massive campaign to defeat the legislation which Wilson is preparing.

The workers at Linwood have every right to oppose the imposition of a speed-up. But it is vital that they take up the political challenge which the Wilson government is preparing with the anti-trade union legislation, and give full support to the campaign which is being organised against JOIN THE SLL —ORDER THE NEWSLETTER • The Socialist Labour League is the only organisation within the labour movement which fully supported the national lobby of parliament, organised by the Lambeth Trades Council. • Our paper, The Newsletter, had, since last October, campaigned each week for the success of the lobby. • The Newsletter was the only paper to protest over the suspension of the Lambeth Trades Council by the TUC. • Both the Socialist Labour League and The Newsletter pledge themselves to continue with the struggle until the right-wing Labour and trade union leaders are forced to abandon their proposals for anti-trade union legislation.

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