THE
FORD WORKERS' BULLETIN
Issue
No. 3
June
1983
**
SPECIAL JAPANESE ISSUE **
CONTENTS...CONTENTS...CONTENTS...
After the
Election: the Battle for Working
Class Power [Page
1]
This Year's Wage
Claim: a "Combine" Debate [Page 3]
Halewood MS&B
- Halewood Craft Workers: Stranger than Fiction [Page 8]
Halewood PTA [Page 10]
Dagenham Drivers [Page 12]
Dagenham Body
& Press Shop [Page 13]
Dagenham Foundry [Page 14]
Dagenham PTA [Page 15]
Dagenham Engine Plant [Page 17]
Dagenham ED [Page 18]
Bridgend [Page 19]
Bridgend leaflet [Page 20]
Langley [Page 21]
Langley leaflet [Page 23]
Basildon [Page 25]
Basildon leaflet & JWC minutes [Page 26]
Southampton [Page 30]
The "New Wage
Structure": You Have Been Warned! [Page 31]
The Strike at
Ford-Genk [Page 32]
European Ford
Workers' Meeting, Valencia [Page 33]
Japanisation: The
Lull Before the Storm [Page 35]
Book Review:
"Japan in the Passing Lane" [Page 36]
International Car
Workers' Conference: Japanese Warning [Page 37]
Move With the
Times: Learn to Speak Japanese'. [Page 41]
Ford Workers'
Group National Leaflet [Page 26]
May '83 [Page 43]
Workers' Health at
the Ford Motor Company [Page 45]
Ford-UK lends
money to Ford-USA [Page 46]
Various Items
[Page 47]
Do-It-Yourself
Leaflets for Ford Workers [Page 48]
BULLETIN OF THE
FORD WORKERS' GROUP ("THE COMBINE")
_____________________________________________
Founded in 1978, the Ford Workers' Group has supporters at Halewood, Dagenham, Langley, Basildon, Bridgend, Aveley, Southampton and Enfield.
We stand for international solidarity and understanding in the struggle against Ford. We're for democratic unions in which the rank and file have the power - not the bureaucrats in their comfortable offices. That's the only way we'll rebuild the trade unions. And we're against racism and discrimination against women - and all other measures that divide us as workers.
To join, send your name, address, home phone no. and the shift and section you work on, to:
Ford Workers' Group, Room 265,
27 Clerkenwell Close,
LONDON EC1
_____________________________________________
Printed and Published by
The Ford Workers' Group ("The Combine"), Room
265,
27 Clerkenwell Close,
London EC 1 .
[Insert
Graphic]
So Thatcher has won her expected "landslide" (though with less votes than in 1979).
At the
national level, the gloves are now off. Let there be no doubt. Thatcher's main
aim in this term of office is the destruction of the power of the working
class. She herself made this plain in her strong attack on shop stewards during
the election campaign.
At Ford, we know
only too well that, sadly, many shop stewards are not what the Tories make them
out to be. But for Thatcher and Tebbit, shop stewards remain a symbol of what
they hate: rank and file power ... the power that we have to maintain our
living and working conditions.
Despite all the setbacks of the past few years, Thatcher knows that we're not defeated.
In the eyes of Tory policy-makers, there's still too much rank and file control over the job; too much demarcation; too many people willing to tell their supervisor "I'm not doing that, it's not my job". For them, we still earn too much and work too little. There's too much resistance to new technology and new working methods.
Against this,
Thatcher (as shown in recent speeches) stands for Japanisation. The
Japanisation of industry after industry in the pursuit of massive increases in
profits. And the Japanisation of the working class. The only question is, when
will Thatcher first be seen in public wearing a kimono?!
The main
obstacle in the way of her project is the thousands of ordinary, rank and file
working class men and women who don't want it to happen to them; who don't want
to work harder; who don't want
to lose all power at work; who don't want to be reduced to mere robots.
And that's why, for Thatcher, the key issue is working class power. On that, at least, we're agreed. She's against working class power. We're for it. We're for the destruction of the repressive power of capital and for a society based on new and democratic working class institutions. She's for building capital even stronger.
It'll be one
hell of a battle. Her strategy is straightforward: continue with the blackmail
of mass unemployment and slump, backed up by new police powers and Tebbit's new
round of trade union legislation. Meanwhile, make greater efforts to divide
the working class: black from white; women from men; young from old; employed
from unemployed.
As ever, our job is to build unity within the working class,where the enemy is trying to build divisions. Think about it, brothers and sisters!
One thing's clear from this election: there's no point looking to the Labour Party in Parliament to lead this struggle against Thatcherism. The supposedly "most extreme Labour manifesto ever" doesn't even mention socialism! The only effective opposition will be outside Parliament. And the strength of that opposition will decide whether the Labour Party slides a bit to the right or a bit to the left.
What about our Union leaders? No chance. Even the best of them are stuck to the slogan: "A Fair Day's Work for a Fair Day's Pay". They'll bargain away work and a total loss of control of the job for a couple of pennies an hour. They don't understand that we want less work, more money, and more power. (It's a long time since most trade union officials did any work, and the memory fades fast).
So that leaves the rank and file. And we can do it. The willingness to fight-back is there. Just look at the events of BL-Cowley and Ford-Halewood in recent months.
On Japanisation, at Ford we are going to be among the first to face Le Crunch. There's no doubt that Ford will try to buy in Japanisation through the New Wage Structure at the time of this year's Wage Claim.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN! We can point to the horrors of the Dagenham Engine Plant - the only plant that has accepted "AJ" (see the report in this Bulletin). We can show how Japanisation, the New Wage Structure and the destruction of effective shop floor organisation are totally linked together. And we've got to warn against what's likely to happen: in any confrontation Ford will threaten closure and thousands of lost jobs if we won't accept "AY'. This is - and has always been - their classic blackmail tactic. To that, we've got to say: "We don't accept your blackmail. Close it down - we don't care: under Japanisation it won't be worth working here anyway". Think about it, brothers and sisters!
It's true we've got problems. Dagenham is a weak area, and the manipulations around Danny Connor to get him back as Convenor in the Body Plant show the rotten, undemocratic underbelly of bureaucratic trade unionism. And there's a lot of stewards' committees where similar things go on: rightwingers who have tiny constituencies; leftwingers who have 150 or more members, etc. We've got to challenge all this if we're to build a real democratic rank and file power at Ford.
These are not side issues - they are the essence of the matter.
But there's a lot going for us at Ford. The cars are still selling. We've got the beginnings of international shop-floor coordination. The rank and file have a healthy disrespect for our trade union leaders. Shop steward organisation in Halewood, Swansea and Bridgend is strong - and can give the rest of the plants a lead. And last but not least, we're building the Ford Workers' Group - the Combine. Every dark cloud has a silver lining: in our case that lining is called ORGANISE!
To this end, we would invite all readers of this Bulletin to get involved, join with the Combine, and build the fight-back.
17 June 1983.
[Insert
Graphic]
It's Wage Claim time again - and nasty manoeuvres are already going on
to decide the Claim undemocratically behind our backs. Tell us something new!
So we in the "Combine" have decided to widen the debate - and
this is a
report of the ideas that flowed when we discussed the question on 4th June, at
a very well attended meeting of rank and file Ford workers from around the
country, held in London.
The debate centred on the idea of "Staff Status", which
was pushed hard by several speakers as the main item for this year's wage
claim. It was said that we suffered an apartheid-type system in Fords,
similar to South Africa - with separate toilets, separate canteens and worse
conditions dividing hourly-paid from staff.
Why - people asked - should we clock on and off, when they don't? Why
shouldn't we have full sick pay, a guaranteed week's pay every week and longer
holidays? Why shouldn't we work 372 hours per week? What's so special about the
office staff?
Others were sceptical. If "Staff Status" meant doing
everything that management wants, then they didn't want it. They didn't want to
eat in the same canteen as supervisors and managers. And they felt it was
playing into management hands at a time when the Company was looking for
greater flexibility from the hourly-paid.
Others felt that the key issue should be jobs - shorter hours, longer
holidays and retirement at 60 - or 30 years and out. And still others felt that
money was still the key issue.
Those who were strongly in favour of "Staff Status" argued back
that apart
from the money, all the rest, especially extra holidays and shorter hours, was
in the demand "Staff Status". Also it avoided the "shopping
list" trap. They said that by combining the "staff status" with
the demand "No New Wage Structure", our opposition to any increased
flexibility would be made clear.
Eventually it was agreed that the phrase "Staff Status" would
be better expressed as "Equal Benefits with the Staff" - to make it
clear that we wanted parity with the staff, but not the servile mentality that
seems to go with it.
So this was the overall set of demands agreed on:
£20 across the board increase.
Equal benefits with the staff and No New Wage Structure (Full sick pay; proper pensions; guaranteed week's pay every week; no clocking on and off; 37 hour week).
The cut in hours to 37 hours to be matched by an increase in jobs.
Retirement at 60.
Longer holidays.
A cut to 5 years as the qualifying period for service-related holidays.
Consolidation of the Supplement.
What do you think? Let us know. And let your steward and convenor know!
What's clear is that - in order to get a wage claim (whatever it is) that we can all unite around - it's got to be decided DEMOCRATICALLY. And that means avoiding the pitfalls of last year.
* We don't want a wage claim cobbled together behind our backs by Passingham, Connors and Harraway and pulled out of a hat at a national JWC's conference with no chance to change or amend it.
* We don't want that resolution carried as gospel to a totally undemocratic Coventry stewards' conference, without any prior discussion in the plants, and with no chance to amend it at Coventry.
We want a democratic conference of senior stewards to agree - by debate and amendment - a resolution which would go for discussion in plants - through stewards' meetings and plant meetings. This would then go"to a Coventry conference where amendments from plants could be voted on and a claim could be democratically agreed.
A simple process - and a real extension of shop floor democracy!
5.6.83
Always remember...
[Insert Graphic]
[Insert Graphic]
Some far-seeing activists among us expected a shift from shop-floor struggle to the traditional "waffling" of acceptance concerning "AJ". Their analysis predicted that Stormy Forest (Ford-Halewood) would - or in fact was - being used as a lever for the proposed New Wage Structure. The development over the past three months seems to have vindicated our forward-looking comrades.
Since 1980 we in Stormy Forest have been expecting a violent disturbance, or an old-fashioned assault on our fortified organisation. On January 7th 1983, the proverbial manure hit the winnowing instrument.
We scoffed at the thought of 1,363 volunteers here at the Forest selling their jobs, and felt secure that "AJ" just couldn't arrive here, because hadn't our National Officers rejected the very thought? We Foresters never really understood the deep suppressed hatred of so many people desperate to just get out. That so many people held the philosophy that they were not going to waste their lives to earn a living having to accept the dehumanising and depersonalising conditions of subordination experienced at Ford.
Just over 1,700 workers have volunteered to leave the hole.
We have also witnessed, by our National Officers, what can only be likened to Sewermen just going through the motions.
Tales from the Woods reads as follows:
On January 7th, Manager Raymont - Wicked Witch of the North - announced a bribery to some 1,363 "hewers of wood" which could lead them from Stormy Forest. Voluntary, of course - who on earth has ever heard of people being compelled to leave Fords::
Countless meetings have taken place in the Witches Den trying to understand the ingredients to make a forthcoming banquet of harder work, tighter control and less people.
The Body Plant stewards - a right little gang of hewers - examined every single job loss and the implications for those remaining. They bracketed - and similarity with Paul Kelly is purely coincidental - or categorised each job change or loss into five areas:
1. What was considered "AJ" and outlawed at National level. 2. Those functions which were items for grading grievance.
3. Changes which couldn't be made, due to local or national agreements.
4. Changes which could be implemented with trials and reference to area shop stewards.
5. Those changes which the Company had a right, under agreement, to implement without reference.
The Wicked Witch and his Coven didn't consider that these were necessary ingredients for the brew. They just kept stirring it. Cries of anguish, unfairness, cheats and rascals rendered the spot welding misty thickets. Those scoundrels were not playing to the rules! In fact, believe it or not, THEY WERE CHANGING THEM. Rules? "Who rules?" "We do," said the Coven Of Managers and Bosses. The hewers called upon their Senior Axeman, a certain carver-upper named Todd. He told the very Devil himself, Mr Hayden, to stick to the rules, obey procedure... even if the brew is nasty, the right procedure for making it must be observed. "We will, we will, honest..." said the Coven. "Then we'll serve up exactly what the recipe for life shortage or working misery says - harder work, tighter control, and for sweet a great big dollop of "AJ".
Procedure was followed at each objection. In finality the stewards accepted a total loss of just under 700 jobs. But that wasn't enough - 1,363 had to be the figure. By that time the PTA Plant had struck in support of Paul Kelly, and the Body Plant met with full membership - except all craftsmen. (Those Trade Unionists had no intention of being tainted with the same values as production workers, stating that they would fight any "AJ" items which affected only them directly. Or, as a Divisional Organiser said in the AUEW Journal recently, "an overwhelming vote for self-determination". More like an overwhelming vote for determined scabbing, in line with their philosophy during the Paul Kelly dispute, including 99% of their shop stewards).
The mass meeting of production workers and indirect workers (QC, Material Handling etc) mandated the Hewers - sorry, Stewards - that in the event of any items concerning "AJ" an immediate strike would follow.
After the Paul Kelly Strike, management's attitude altered somewhat. They appealed for a common-sense approach to common problems. They showed everybody a Video of how simple the changes were, omitting to say how many jobs would be lost at each change.
"Simple changes", said Animal Rothwell - a Senior Warlock in the Forest. "Just like telling your wife to sew a button on your shirt," he said. Does that still happen in our society, thought thousands that haven't seen the wood for the trees? No!! Surely not!! Just another lie put out by management, was the heroes' conclusion.
The heat in the cauldron, however, had been turned down. People who were not leaving were assured that they would not lose shift patterns, earnings, grade or easy jobs. Craftsmen and those associated with craft functions, that is. A clearing for pasture-land was most definitely being made for them. History writers will one day say it was a diversionary tactic, no doubt.
However, the arguments went on. An important ingredient was to move from a TAG relief system (each man being relieved from his job individually) to a BLOCK system, where the lines stop, thereby all having relief at the same time. This would clear the Forest of 50 men. Under protest the Company introduced the Block system - but that was to be WON AND LOST.
Finally, the senior carver-upperer Todd and five other National Officials came to Stormy Forest. They came to argue for the Wood Dwellers' objections identified as "AJ". These were:
1. Some items of inspection to be done by production.
2. Tip dressing to be done by production.
3. Transfer of panels from Material Handling to Press Shop production.
4. Integration of skilled functions.
5. A creation of multi-skilled - skilled people and unskilled workers - into die-setting teams.
Their clarion call was as loud as a fart in a wind tunnel. Their line seemed to be one of accommodation, with Todd repeatedly saying: "Let's seek an interim agreement until we reach agreement perhaps under the New Wage Structure".
A few days later Todd and the Officials appeared again. This time
the stewards found the courage to attack them, relaying how disgusted they were at their performance. Being experienced carver-upperers, of course, they objected to any criticism. One of them said that the Foresters were too "ridged" and were heading for a major confrontation. The development of this led to an admission that something similar to the die-setting teams had been agree in Dagenham, outside of the Grading Grievance, where people had been upgraded.
The second meeting between the National Axemen and the Coven reached a termination at the refusal to accept tip dressing; some inspection functions; transfer of panels from material handling to production; and integration of skilled functions. The Coven said they understood the difficulty of skilled people not being able to move out of Grade E, and they would accept for debate on June 1st in London all the objections in Stormy Forest, which would reverberate in the other plants. It was also agreed that the Company would provide all Efficiency items that they have asked for and got in other plants. Todd said that he wanted from each plant a list of which efficiency/AJ items have been accepted.
Very strong signs of a promise for increased grading came from that meeting - in the future. No signs of a defence of jobs were shown.
The Block Relief system argument was eventually heard. The result was that the Company do not have the right to say when we can take our 30 minutes per day personal relief period, without agreement. The Stormy Forest Coven were instructed to revert to Tag Relief. This however is difficult now that Block is running. No less a reason that that the "hewers of wood" prefer it. So the Company have offered us to stay with Block, and have one relief man permanently employed with the Foreman WHICH WILL MEAN NOT ONLY DO THE LINE MEN HAVE 40 MINUTES PER DAY BUT ALSO AN EXTRA 15. The price we pay is 12 jobs. If we go to Tag it will be strictly Blue Book Terms.
Or, as the Wise Owl says, some you don't win, some you lose.
Many functions which could be identified as "AJ" are to be introduced in the Forest. Self-certification on repair areas and self-identification on wrongly or self-damaged jobs. Along with automation, it does seem as though a particular song's words will come true - IN THE JUNGLE, THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT... AND EVERY NIGHT!
GOOD NIGHT, COMRADES.
_____________________________________________
For all the outward signs of solidarity in struggles at Halewood, inwardly there have been deep divisions between craft members and unskilled. From the opening of Halewood in 1962 to the present day fragile unity and a sense of opposition has existed. For the best part of the 1960s and continuing into the 1970s the Body Plants were led by a convenor, a toolmaker. In 1972-T3 the position changed to production, and has continued until the present day, with 4 different convenors, all from production areas.
At the end of 1973, the skilled unions broke from the Trade Union structure at all levels in the plant. For 4 years they argued for some sort of proportional representation, eventually achieving three seats by right on the Joint Works Committee, therefore increasing that Committee to 11 representations from a trade union.
This arrangement became ratified at national level as part of the Blue Book. The understanding had to embrace the unwritten specific details of unity and argument and action against the Company. That, of course, has never happened. The Craft leadership has failed to transmit any purpose that would improve the conditions of all workers. They have failed to face the challenge of right-wing runts who are determined to act and maintain a sectarian stance.
The Craft membership has had nothing other than the base philosophy
of greed and selfishness, so nurtured that they are now exhibiting some disgraceful consequences of that greed. The position of the three seats by right on the Joint Works Committee enables one individual to become a Deputy Convenor for the Craft. This has ensured permanent day work at 3-shift pay rates. The other two seats have provided extensive time from the jobs and from the workplace. Their positions are found by open voting of all shop stewards. This allows the unskilled shop stewards to choose who from the Craft will fill the three seats by right. This has continually angered the runts, who have worked against decisions which would embrace unity in action against the Ford Motor Company.
A critical demonstration of this unity expressed itself during the "Double-Dosing" strike. Both the PTA and MS&B struck, to be joined by all Craft in the PTA. Around 700 skilled men scabbed that strike in the Body Plant. Letters from their District Officials instructing them to support the dispute, along with the physical appearance of pickets, were totally ignored. Those scabs literally climbed and fought to get into work, under the fence. They waited in large groups both before entering and before leaving the plant, led inevitably by their shop stewards. At that time, the Craft senior stewards did join the struggle, which gave their opposition plenty of ammunition. Demands began to be made for their resignation, as the Craft interests did not lie with the non-skilled, no matter what the issue.
The arguments eventually led to all Craft stewards being instructed by national and local officers to work with, and carry out all decisions found by the Joint Shop Stewards' Committee, and to maintain the traditional role in action by the shop stewards.
Recently two events have shown their contempt for such instructions.
Firstly, during the Paul Kelly dispute, an official picket line was mounted. This time, all members of Craft crossed the line. A reflection
Sadly this- will leave us all fig from which only ti,,(-,
Company will gain. it -gym
corner, situation
of their contemptuousness appeared in the observing of the picket by all contract workers, including German and other foreign workers.
Secondly, the
debacle of "AJ" led the Joint Shop Stewards' Committee to call a mass
meeting of all members in the Body Plant. A revolt, led by the runts, forced
the Craft-only meeting, the day before the mass meeting. That gathering gave
the Craft the opportunity to declare total rejection of any identification with
production. They acted in the most offensive, reprehensible fashion possible, almost
reaching violence, both with the Convenor and with their own District
Officials.
Those cowards` (District Officials) stance was plainly declared by the AUEW District Organiser, who said in the AUEW Journal that it was an "expression for self-determination". At that meeting, the Craft proposed that they would fight AJ in their own corner, but before any action they would all meet (5 shifts, all departments) to decide their course of action.
On May 26th,
the toolmakers discovered that the Try-out and Automation (TOA) were
performing their function. They appealed to the TOA to stop, as it-was
"AJ" - by integration of skills. The TOA needed to see action by the
Toolroom before they supported or discontinued management's instructions to
perform Toolroom functions. At 2.30pm that day, the Toolroom struck. Those
people operate on a 2-shift system, whilst TOA work on a 3-shift system. The
afternoon TOA completely ignored the strike action, stating that they had
performed the work in the past at times of new model launch or emergency.
The night
shift Toolroom also struck. Again, their action was ignored by the TOA. On the
morning of the 27th, the Toolroom met collectively and declared a continuance
of the strike until Tuesday 31st May (the 30th being Whit Monday). Over the
weekend, the TOA continued the Toolroom work.
On Tuesday
31st May, the whole of the Toolroom met again. The shop stewards recommended a
return to work to allow meaningful discussions to take place. The vote was
53-51 to return. No meaningful discussions did take place or have taken place.
In fact management are offering some of the TOA work to the Toolroom.
We see here a
classic case of carrot and stick, divide and rule etc.. Needless to say, there is
an underlying hostility now between the TOA and the Toolroom. The Craft senior
stewards did not call the 5 shifts immediately, for fear of loss of supplement
and that they described as "divisions in the ranks". àbot only 1, word of mouth, but by open unashamed
performance, the Craft are prepared to carry out any function, irrespective of
AJ or any other Union--.i-cl'~red opposition to
the Company. They believe they have a Job for life, and should be first
considered, at the expense of production workers, for survival. Their behaviour
has led to one production operator's resignation from the Joint Works
Committee, and undoubtedly there will develop a split between production and
craft representations at all levels in the near future.
An example ,nt~ gr, •ed sma oelfi.r, n _ L r 1 seen in the following instance: over the last year or so, craftsmen have been visiting Continental plants for familiarisation and experience in new technology. They argued they should have the right to return home at the weekends, to see their families. families. In fact they return on a Friday at the Halewood plant on Saturday and work (or at least go in) on Sunday for weekend overtime. They then return to Germany either on Sunday night or Monday morning. Stranger than fiction? You bet it is.
This is not so much a report. More a hasty note. Paul Kelly is due back in work Tuesday 14th June. To be re-located in the Trim area. Even though it is a bitter pill for those who gave their support for this issue, there won't be any further action taken. Some form of solace, I suppose, can be taken from the fact that, from a sacked position, he is at least now back in the fold once more.
Allow me to quote from the final published report of ACAS:
"Conclusions
39. Dismissal This point gave us difficulty because it has not been raised before us directly. It seems to us essential however to assess whether the penalty imposed upon Mr Kelly was appropriate and reasonable. We are strengthened in this view by the Company's Discipline code which says: 'any disciplinary action taken will match the seriousness of the offence'. It is at this stage and this stage alone that we cannot be certain that the background that we have described did not adversely affect Mr Kelly. To make this clear it is necessary to be set out plainly what Mr Kelly was being punished for. He had been found by the Company to have wilfully bent a console bracket. We were told that the damage would be mended by a repairman with a pair of pliers at virtually no cost. The bracket in question was not produced to us and we believe that it is now buried under some purchaser's console. The Discipline at Work Code is clear that gross misconduct warrants dismissal for a first offence. Gross misconduct is defined in para 2 (e) as including 'wilful destruction ... of property belonging to the Company'. The letter at 15 February to which we have already referred makes it clear that gross misconduct will embrace vehicles 'deliberately damaged, i.e. vandalised and now requiring major paint and metal repairs to make them saleable'. It is difficult to say that a single act such as we have been considering falls clearly under either of those definitions. At the outset the act was characterised as vandalism. The Company rightly insisted that vandalism merited instant dismissal. The trade union has never done other than express complete support for this view. Unless the incident had clearly been considered very specifically as an isolated occurrence, we cannot be sure that the regrettable background did not play some part in the selection of the appropriate penalty. For that to be so would of course be wrong.
40. We have set out our views as to the reasonableness of the Company's action as fully as we can. We have been open about areas where doubt exists and where actions could have been organised somewhat better on the part both of the Company and the [File 13] trade union. We have to make an overall judgement and to assess the incident, the procedure and the penalty. It is this last element which has, as we have explained, given us some difficulty.
41. Nothing we say should be taken as detracting from the view, which we share, that discipline must be maintained and procedures and rules carefully upheld. (Typist's note: Do I really have to type this crap?) Gross misconduct (or less serious misconduct repeated after a warning) merits dismissal.
42. The Company's disciplinary procedure as drafted did not make clear, nor did Mr Matthews warning letter of 15 February, that an act such as we have been considering fell squarely in the realms of dismissal. We cannot be sure that the incident was not reviewed in the context of the wider problem of vandalism.
43. For these reasons which are special to the facts of this case, we venture to express the view that once the Company was convinced that Mr Kelly was responsible for the incident a more reasonable decision would have been:
(1) A period of suspension without pay for 10 working days.
(2) A clear written warning.
(3) Transfer to another area."
May 1983.
_______________________________________
Times 3 June 1983.
_______________________________________
Ever since the introduction of the 39-hour week last July, the Company have been trying to force the Dagenham-based transport drivers to change their working hours.
The drivers come under the Engine Plant, which has opted (under Blue Book rules) to work 5 shifts of 7 hours 48 minutes on both days and nights.
That guarantees the driver an hour and 12 minutes overtime per shift because they have to work 9 hours minimum - and some journeys are much longer.
But most plants have voted not to work Friday night at all - working four 94 hour nights or working 9 hour nights and longer day shifts. So there's very little work for the drivers on Friday nights. Now the Company are trying to get them to work four nights, breaking them from the rest of the Engine Plant.
What Fords want would hit the drivers' pockets hard. They're demanding that the drivers work four nine-hour nights - so they'd lose all the guaranteed overtime, and have to work harder during their working hours.
But as the Company knows, under the Blue Book, the drivers are within their rights to stick to 5 nights. They're in a strong position - "in the driving seat" - as it were. And they're holding on to it. The drivers' committee has proposed 4 nights of a guaranteed minimum 11 hours, but the Company won't wear it, and want to take it to arbitration. This the drivers have currently refused.
Before long this dispute is bound to get to the NJNC, and it might lead to action, a
__________________________
[Insert News Clip]
Britain could be faced . with a the examples of the Maestro. the position where it imported-cars in Ford Sierra and the Vauxhafl boxes and put them together like Cavalier. These stories concealed Lego. Mr.Leslie Huckfield (Nunea- the fact that a great deal of the ton. Lab) said when he successfully industry was turning itself into an sought leave in ° the Commons to assembly-only industry. There wasa bring ii) the Domestic Content Bill. tendency for the higher technology It was read a first time. and higher engineering to go abroad.
Mr Huckfield said his Bill would British Leyland could ultimately require imported cars or British- cease engine and transmission assembled cars to have a certain manufacture, leading to the loss of percentage of British products or 50.000 jobs.
labour in them. -
He said there had been allegedly import penetration No other country allowed such as did Britain British success stories. There were and Britain exported fewer cars
Times 27 April 83.
________________________________________________
First the good news - Danny Connors, convenor, television personality and Spitfire pilot was chucked out as shop steward for B-Shift Body in White in the annual elections. The section needed 4 stewards, and Danny Connors came 6th out of 8 nominations.
Now the bad news. He changed shift to A-Shift Body in White, and at a meeting attended by two senior stewards he was nominated for shop steward. The blokes from the section insisted on nominating one of their own for the four shop stewards' positions. They formerly had three shop stewards. This figure was extended to four in order to accommodate Danny Connors, and he came fifth in this election.
Then the senior stewards proposed that the meeting endorse Danny Connors as convenor. This they did.
Nineteen Body Plant shop stewards voted for a resolution stating that Connors was not elected as a shop steward. Forty-two shop stewards voted against. And the rest of the 96 Body Plant shop stewards either abstained or did not turn up at the meeting. Incidentally, at the same meeting, Sid Harraway was thrown out as Deputy Convenor, but still holds the Chairman's position.
So, Danny Connors is once again Convenor. Actions such as this only give the Union a bad name, and give ammunition to Tebbit, the Chingford Skinhead, to bring in more rabid anti-Union legislation. The River Plant convenor, Bernie Passingham, was elected in similar circumstances. And Sid Harraway's shop steward credentials are just as doubtful. The whole episode has meant that Connors has not one shred of credibility, and everyone knows it's basically a fiddle and a kick in the teeth for shop floor democracy.
On Japanisation the Company is making a little progress. They're cutting down gradually on inspectors, and in the Press Shop it's very clear. For example - die setting: before the changes it took one and a half shifts to set an entire line. Now it's done in under 4 hours.
Before, to change dies, you had 2 guard setters, 2 or 3 automation setters, 2 or 3 slingers and 3 or 4 die setters. Now you have teams of six die setters who can do all the jobs except the more skilled automation setters - and they do it faster.
There's no doubt that this is AJ - but Connors and District Official Murphy agreed to this on the basis of an upgrading from C to D.
Now they're bringing in automatic loaders for the presses. They've installed 5 but only 1 is working and that keeps breaking down. They feed the sheet metal into the die after degreasing, so everyone is paced by the automatic loader, which does away with one in two operators anyway.
The
introduction of griptows - a small electric truck about 4 feet long - has also
led to a reduction in labour. They're used to move complete parts, and they've
led to a cut by one third in the number of fork lift drivers. The griptows are
in material handling, but most of the operators are recent transfers from
production.
There's so much surplus labour in the Press Shop because of Japanisation and the new technology that 7 men per shift have been transferred to the Wheel Plant and another 10 per shift are going by mid-June.
This Shutdown
the Dagenham Foundry workforce will fall to 1,500 workers. In its heyday it
employed 4,500. The cutback has been achieved
in stages, by voluntary early retirement, voluntary redundancies, voluntary transfers to other plans and a small number of compulsory transfers. The atmosphere of uncertainty with the threat of imminent closure has encouraged short-service men to leave for other jobs.
The Works
Committee, while being "moderate" in nature has fought for an orderly
retreat. Management have been refused the right to use the Foundry as a weekly
pool of labour, and only when production has been cut have transfers been
tolerated. Two out of five production lines are now out of use. The other three
are running on two-thirds capacity, while after Shutdown only the
crank-shaft line will be two-shift, the other lines will be day work only.
The
possibility is that the Foundry is being run-down to closure. Management
deny this vigorously and there have been teams of specialists coming round
drawing up plans for new machinery and technology - but as yet no actual major
investment has taken place. By this October it will be either the definite
go-ahead as a high-technology small foundry (1,200 men) or run-down to closure.
There have
been a number of minor stoppages to defend jobs and rights, but bit by bit
relief time has been cut and manning levels cut. Simultaneously production is
down, so it's not a classical speed-up situation as such. Nevertheless,
workers' rights and gains are being lost. The most important confrontation was
when management took on the Works Committee by a Sir Michael Edwards-style
letter to the workers, after the JWC refused a request for overtime when men
were being asked to volunteer for redundancy and transfer. 98 per cent of the
men supported the JWC line, and management were totally defeated - on that
issue anyway. If this stand had not been either taken or supported by the men,
then the local T.U. organisation would have lost its right to consultation and
restraint on management proposals.
Things have been very quiet here over the last few months. The plant was working flat out around the end of April and meeting schedules. Since then, the schedules have been increased from 34 to 38 cars per hour, but actual production is lower than previously. No obvious explanation of this.
Further
modernisation of the Paint Shop is continuing - the minirepair spray booth is currently
being torn out - and this will result in a further loss of jobs in the Paint
Shop in time. Changes in processes have reduced Paint Shop numbers from 450 per
shift last June to about 360 now.
It is "only" loss of jobs through "technological" changes, rather than "After Japan" working practices, that have so far occurred in the PTA. But there have been a couple of half-hearted attempts to introduce features of "AJ".
A few weeks back, operators on the direct glazing areas downstairs were
given number stamps to indicate on the build sheets that rubber trim and other
material on the body shell was OK before the glass was put in. This was
obviously inspectors' work. Stewards on both shifts took this up. On one shift
the stamps were withdrawn completely, while on the other shift on one job one
operator stamps all the build sheets regardless of whether the job is OK or not
(?;)
The other attempt to introduce "AJ" was in the Paint Shop. As
a result of the modernisation programme, a number of inspectors' jobs are
"surplus". As most inspectors have long service, they are faced with
the prospect of going back on a line job in the Paint Shop. "On the
quiet", some inspectors were offered jobs on the enamel upgrading
involving both inspecting and touching up faults on body shells coming
out of the paint ovens. "D" grade money was also mentioned. A couple
of people started to do this, but once again a stop was put to it when shop
stewards became involved.
If there is any pattern to things concerning "AJ" in the PTA
at Dagenham, it is that management are trying to bring things in by stealth. If
the stewards are on the ball - and so far it has been encouraging - management
back off. With the Sierra selling well, it is just not worth the candle to push
new work practices when a new wages structure is on the way, which will try to
buy them in.
There are some Quality Circles functioning in the PTA. These mainly
involve tea, biscuits and 45 minutes overtime pay for lunchtime meetings for
some Paint Shop workers. No big effort is made by management to build those
meetings, and they are voluntary. Downstairs in the Trim areas, one or two have
been tried out, but not pursued with any vigour. Nevertheless, the concept of
Quality Circles - trying to incorporate workers into discussing problems in
management's way of thinking - is a problem. Union policy iss to boycott, but our
job is not made easy when - as has occurred in the Paint Shop - a shop steward
attends.
The most important upshot of the shop steward elections is that we have a new convenor. Brian Eliot is retiring, and Jo Gordon - West Indian - easily won the subsequent election. Jo was easily the best choice for the job and it's good to see, at last, a black convenor in Ford. Geoff Fox is deputy convenor.
The stewards elections were interesting because they were far more
heavily contested than last year - an indication that people thought the
positions were worth fighting for because something can be done, given the
position of the Sierra. There was no left/right split as such in most
instances, although one senior steward nearly came to grief for not allowing
overtime working in his area prior to a bank holiday (this is standard custom
and practice). Another good senior steward who had been heavily involved in
getting the shop stewards' bulletin "Under Pressure" established, got
the chop. But elsewhere younger (ie 30-ish), more militant people got in for the first time. We
will have to wait a bit to seq how the shop stewards' committee shapes up.
The PTA Shop Stewards' Committee has recently published a bimonthly
newsletter called Under Pressure, trying to keep members involved and up
to date. In the second issue there's a very disturbing item.
Headed "Big Brother is Watching You", it reveals that the Company is planning to instal security cameras to view the perimeter fence. They'll be fitted with a video recorder to play back anything "suspicious". The stewards' committee is dead against this, and says that Fords are spying on their workforce.
Just as bad: the Company has placed metal detectors at security gate No.
34. Everyone coming or going has to pass through these. And they are to be erected
at every gate. If you trigger the detector - and a tobacco tin or even key ring
could do it, as anyone who's been through an airport detector knows - then
you're ushered into the security lodge for a thorough search, and you're
thoroughly delayed and your liberties thoroughly infringed.
[Copies of the Bulletin can be obtained from the Convenor's Office, Dagenham PTA. Tel: 85 (tandem code) -255.]
[Insert
Graphic]
The Engine Plant leadershi attended the Hythe Conference (see March issue of Ford Workers' Bulletin completely on their own prerogative, with no agreement from the Shop Stewards or shop floor - and since returning, it appears they have been convinced by the Company that the only way forward is with the Company plan.
The Works Committee are never seen on the shop floor and spend all their time in various committees. It seems the Company keeps the seven so involved in their, problems that they have no time for the shop floor. Safety matters have taken second place to the installation of new machinery, and shop stewards on the floor either seem iininterested in arguments on movements of labour, or get no back-up from the Works Committee.
On the new Diesel line, the Company are now picking their labour for the new jobs and making sure that no active trade unionists get to work there. Objections have been raised by the line stewards about how they. pick the labour, but the Company won't talk and the Works Committee is not interested.
A lot of the older men are either putting in for redundancy, or have taken it. The reason for this is insecurity. An example of this is a man with a heart condition, who had 42 years service, and was now on a light job. He was put onto an assembly line. After complaints to shop stewards and the Works Committee nothing was done. As soon as redundancy was called for, he went.
The Union calls shop stewards' meetings once a month, but since all the turmoil in the plant, they never achieve a quorum. Two long-term shop stewards left the Engine Plant on redundancy. Both had been active for many years, but now felt without a back-up from the Works Committee, and no Union strategy.
The only resistance to the Company has come from the union branches. So what the TGWU is now trying to do is to form one branch out of the five branches at Fords. It is obvious that what they are trying to do is to put someone in charge of the new branch who will stop the resistance.
The overall effect of all this is that long-term sickness is increasing, with a high percentage of people suffering from depressionrelated illness, mental breakdown and heart complaints. The latest news is that the PTA convenor, who was the only convenor not to attend the Hythe Conference, is now after early retirement due to heart disease.
I think the thing that sickened people most, in the Engine Plant, was the fact that while some people were laid-off for two days a week, members of the Works Committee were on overtime working 7 days - and when labour was being moved out of the Engine Plant, the main problem being pursued by the Works Committee was that they themselves should be allowed to work the shutdown on Union work. (Considerable overtime is worked during this period).
The OHC engine is to go by 1986, and no talk or preparations are being made for the replacement engine. So, if the new passenger diesel engine doesn't take off, with only an estimated 2,000 men out of 7,000 still left, the Engine Plant could be finished.
At KD we're facing a period of uncertainty. Until a couple of months
ago, we were suffering short-time working, and on 66-J% we were being hit hard
in the pocket.
The cause was a loss of orders through recession and the almost total
loss of the Far-East market - Malaysia, the Philippines and especially
Australia and New Zealand.
The Ford plants there are now building up Mazdas - badged as Fords -
supplied from Toyo Kogyo in Japan. We've heard that Ford wants to do the same
with the Cork plant in Ireland which we currently supply.
So we had a VR/SER programme which reduced our numbers by 250, down to
450. And now, with a major increase in orders from South Africa, for the P100,
Sierra, Escort,van, they can't cope. So we're working an hour a night and
Saturday morning! It's a mad world!
But the greatest uncertainty is what's going to happen to KD itself.
Ford want to move the Trim areas out of the River Plant, and probably knock it
down, it's so old. The talk is that the Trim would come over here to the KD
building, which would be completely refurbished, and we would be moved to
Aveley, where there's loads of space and already some KD operations.
Management have already told our senior stewards that whatever happens, we're losing the Cargo truck KD, which will bounce back to Langley whence it came only two years ago. So we'll lose 30 jobs at least. So, you see... It's a mad, mad world at Ford..! 13
[Insert
Graphic]
______________________________________________
As you'll see from our leaflet (printed overleaf), the big local issue since the last Bulletin has been the behaviour of some of our foremen here. Notably one Ray Barry (he of the suggestion scheme fame Mr Unemployment).
One day he
decided to smash open some of the lads' tea lockers in a search for a missing
box of parts. He was reported to management for this wanton act of vandalism -
and the trade union side demanded that Barry should be sacked.
Unfortunately
the management managed to "get at" the two hourly paid witnesses and
make them alter their statements to support the foreman. Whatever they were
offered, it must have been made worth their while. We didn't see the blokes for
some time after! Meantime, lads from the area went out for half a shift as a
mark of protest.
The
management must have badly wanted to get the foreman off this one,
because when the case was first reported they tried everything to persuade the
Union not to take it further.
The boys
whose lockers were smashed made claims for loss of personal property such as
rugby balls, £30, video tapes, £8, etc. The bill ran to hundreds of €s, but
management undertook to meet all the bills in full.
On Japanisation,
the JWC refuses to discuss with management anything that is considered AJ.
Nevertheless, the Company try it on with AJ from time to time.
For example, the diesel passenger engine con-rods that we supply to Dagenham will soon be moving into full production on a new line. Management stated that they intended to run the line without Quality Control buy-off. This means that the production operator would be ultimately responsible for the quality of the line. More job losses, extra work and responsibility for the line workers, at no extra cost to Ford. This is the thin end of the wedge. They have stated that it is their intention to run all lines without QC buy-off.
So the lads took action. The diesel con-rods produced on the line were not allowed to be moved without buy-off - they just gathered dust at the end of the line.
Eventually management had to give in. They were made to realise that if you play a football team without a goalkeeper, even with the best defence in the country, you'll be beaten every time. So they've agreed that when the line is moving towards full production, they'll put a permanent buy-off inspector on the line. Meanwhile, all con-rods will be bought off by an inspector from another line
The month of May also saw a dispute in PPC. Again a foreman problem. The man in question is one vicious little specimen called John Lewis, a Tory councillor would you believe! He follows the Thatcher line: the "resolute" approach, with barked orders and discipline flying right, left and centre. Eventually the lads had enough and went out. A day later and the resolute approach had collapsed. Lewis was ticked off and told he'd be watched by management and that he would eventually be moved off the area.
Another troublesome green-coat is a Mr Gareth Jordan. Like another certain Bridgend foreman, he is suggestion-scheme mad. Maybe it's a virus! His latest idea is to move the Status Lights on a Lassal Transfer Machine, thereby doing away with 3 men's jobs - one per shift. For this heroic gesture the man is to be awarded the maximum reward. For the moment, the Union is contesting the loss of jobs through procedure. The outcome will appear in the next Bulletin.
_____________________________________
∎ This
is a copy of the leaflet issued by the Bridgend "Combine" group
BROTHERS,
ON SATURDAY 30th APRIL, AN ASSEMBLY
FOREMAN, RAY BARRY (REMEMBER HIM, HE'S THE SCUM WHO LIKES PUTTING SUGGESTIONS
IN) DECIDED TO GO ON A WRECKING SPREE. APPARENTLY RAY SUSPECTED CERTAIN MEN ON
ASSEMBLY LINE THREE HAD HIDDEN A BOX OF NUTS IN-ONE OF THEIR TEA
LOCKERS. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK RAY THE
RAT. DECIDED TO DO? DID AF, SEEK AUTHORISATIONFROM I.R.
TO OPEN
PERSONAL LOCKERS? DID HE INFORM SECURITY THAT HE NEEDED THE MASTER KEY TO OPEN
THE PADLOCK? AND WERE MEMBERS OF BOTH I.R. AND SECURITY PRESENT WHEN THE
LOCKERS WERE OPENED? THE ANSWER TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS IS NO.' WHAT RAY DID WAS
TO TAKE A HAMMER AND SMASH THE LOCKS OFF EIGH2!-LOCKERS IN THE F.I.
AREA! HE DIDN'T STOP AT JUST KNOCKING THE LOCKS TO PIECES. IN ONE INSTANCE HE
BROKE THE HASP OFF THE CUPBOARDS AS WELL! RAY THEN PROCEEDED TO RIFLE THROUGH
THE MEN'S PERSONAL ITEMS, AS ONLY A TRUE GUTTER-RAT CAN, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE
NUTS WERE NOT IN THE LOCKERS.
NOW IT SEEMS TO US LADS IN THE COMBINE THAT THERE IS A COMPARISON HERE TO A LITTLE CASE WHICH WE HAD IN HALEWOOD RECENTLY, CONCERNING A Mr. PAUL KELLY. PAUL IS THE LAD WHO WAS DISMISSED FOR ALLEGEDLY DAMAGING A BRACKET WHICH COST 79p. AS YOU KNOW, THE COMPANY'S STANDPOINT ON THAT ISSUE WAS: "ANY PERSON FOUND GUILTY OF WILFUL DESTRUCTION OF COMPANY PROPERTY WILL BE DISMISSED".
HOWEVER, THERE ARE A FEW SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE T*J CASES. ONE IS THAT THE MANAGEMENT ONLY ASSUMED THAT PAUL HAD DAMAGED THE BRACKET, BUT IN RAY THE RAT'S CASE HE WAS WITNESSED BY TWO OPERATORS! THE OTHER IS THE FACT THAT THERE IS QUITE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 79p BRACKET AND EIGHT PADLOCKS PLUS A HASP!
THE SHOP STEWARD OF LINE THREE IS AT PRESENT INVOLVED IN INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING THE VANDALISM, SO IT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE NOT TO JEOPARDISE THESE PROCEEDINGS BY TAKING UNNECESSARY ACTION. WE MUST WAIT AND SFF WHETHER MANAGEMENT WILL UPHOLD THEIR OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS, OR WHETHER THEY WILL ATTEMPT A COVER-UP IN ORDER TO GET CREEPIN' RAY OFF THE HOOK. IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY DECIDE TO BACK THE RAT, THEN SOME FORM OF ACTION WILL HAVE TO BE TAKEN, AND NOBODY KNOWS BETTER HOW TO DO THAT THAN THE LINE THREE OPERATORS, WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF MANY A BATTLE IN THE PAST!
WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THAT IT MIGHT BE TEA LOCKERS TODAY, BUT WHERE WILL THEY BREAK INTO NEXT? LOCKER ROOM? CARS?
OH! AND BY THE WAY, SINCE RAY THE RAT LEFT ALL THE TEA LOCKERS UNLOCKED ALL WEEKEND, THERE WERE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS WENT MISSING - FLASKS, COFFEE ETC... SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE A LOT OF LOSS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY FORMS FILLED IN SOON.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO TELL THE
NEIGHBOURS YOU GOT ALL THEM FROM, RAY?
ALL THE BEST LADS.
PRINTED BY FORD WORKERS' GROUP
(THE COMBINE
_____________________________________
Here at Langley the "rate of climb" in the schedules has now reached its peak - 80 "Cartgoes" per day. This means we're now producing as many trucks on one shift as we used to on two, with 600 less blokes: And the screw keeps turning. Every job in the plant is being retimed, with the aim of cutting back manning even further.
However, the picture is not all gloom and doom. At last the signs of a fightback from the JSSC are appearing.
Last week some of the plants leading stewards boldly and unflinchingly seized on the bruising issues of the day. At a meeting with management, the following exchanges took place:
*** "M.152:- Concern was expressed by a Ctee member that only cheese rolls were available at a recent JSSC meeting. The Canteen manager undertook to ensure that an adequate selection of rolls would be made available at future meetings.
*** M153:- A Ctee member expressed the view that the consistency of semolina was too thick. In response the Canteen Manager said there was no ideal consistency for semolina. He undertook to review the current consistency however."
In the last Bulletin we mentioned the 40 or so "surplus" foremen, nervously eying each others jobs and wondering who's for the chop (visions of "golden handshakes" have all but vanished). It's rumoured that the next phase of the "Japanisation" project involves mass acts of Hari Kiri among the green-coats, by impaling themselves on their clipboards.
Seriously, there is resistance on the floor. Although people still feel collective strike action is impossible, the speed-ups have produced "wars of attrition" being waged bitterly on various sections. For the last few weeks attention has focussed on the axle line, where an attempted speed-up from 10 to 12 jobs an hour (no extra men) has met with a drop in production to 7 - 8 jobs per hour (with 2 extra men).
As the enclosed mass-leaflet says, this fall in production happened because the lads on the section united as never before and imposed a [Cont.]
[Insert
Graphic]
"The Violence Inherent in the System"
(See also page 47)