Wilson's face. anti-working class Government.
Opposition to the policies of the Labour Government has to be placed at the centre of any fight for jobs. Wilson, Healey and the other Labour leaders are committed both at home and abroad to continue their policies orinass unemploven.
At home, the pact agreed by the TUC, the bosses and the Government at Chequers in November puts profitability first and jobs last. Abroad, the top statesmen of all the major capitalist countries at the Rambouillet conference agreed to try to put the cost of meeting the international economic crisis on the backs of the working class by continuing mass unemployment interagonamyOnly the Lin wood stewards initially made a clear call for the fight for jobs at Chrysler to be turned into a fight by the whole labour movement against the policies of the Lesson Number Two No real alternative was ever put forward to the Government proposals. Even the Linwood stewards 'Acceptance of the Chrysler-Government deal in principle'. This recommendation passed by mass meetings of Chrysler workers in Coventry, carried by a majority of stewards at Linwood, and cemented by the stewards combine meeting last Saturday, marks a big setback in the struggle for the right to work in Britain.
The gauntlet was thrown down by the Labour Government: 'Approve the deal by 3 January or all Chrysler workers will lose their jobs'. And the shop stewards and convenors of the major plants were not prepared to throw this blackmail back into On these pages Red Weekly explains the developments over the last fortnight which led to this defeat. We also try to draw out the lessons of this experience which, if understood, can lay the basis for a renewed fight against the implementation of the deal by Chrysler workers and point the way forward against this combined the demand for nationalisation with a call for import conTrols.
But the campaign for import controls now being conducted by the lefts' merely turns the fight away from the ruling class in this can pret co try to tipose unemployment on workers abroad.
DIVISIVE Nevertheless, the demand for nationalisation placed the responsibility for jobs at the door of the Government - even though the nationalisation measures carried out by ine wison Government nave meant thousands of redundancies at British Leyland and Alfred Herbert.
However, the policies of the Stoke and Ryton convenors - of work-sharing, voluntary redundancies, and natural wastage - laid the basis for splitting the united opposition that could have been forged against the Government's plan.
Voluntary redundancy schemes destroy jobs. They also split and divide a workforce and pave the way for massive speed-up. Work-sharing, unless coupled with the demand for no loss of pay, means that workers take a wage cut. Many workers. would rather leave the plant than be condemned to continued financial insecurity.
ment's plan had to start from the need to defend all jobs at Chrysler.
pany's books to determine what up of a scheme for work-sharing without loss of pay. The report research and administration centre not meet this basic demand and that the company should therefore be nationalised without compensation.
have drawn up a plan for nationalcontrol, as part of one nationalised automotive industry.
Lesson Number Three and convenors were whipped into MP William Wilson, urged workers to accept the deal and stated that the time was not right for nationalisation.
These MPs and trade union leaders have given Ricardo and to another Minister the remark: It would give the other three companies
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The alternative to the GovernThis meant the opening of the comwork was available and the drawing produced by workers at the Whitley showed clearly that Chrysler would On such a basis, workers could isation and production under workers Without such a policy, and without a clear position of opposition to the Labour Government's policies of unemployment, the senior stewards line by the national trade union officials and forced to accept the deal.
The 'left" MPs who had sworn to defend the Chrysler jobs to the last man couldn't be seen for dust. Those who did stay around, like Coventry The Observer went on to attribute Chrysler boss John Ricardo-known as "The Flamethrower' Wilson the green light to sack 8,300 workers. The strategy of the plant leadership, to negotiate voluntary redundancies within the framework of the deal, must be rejected by Chrysler workers on their return to work A campaign in the rest of the labour movement for work-sharing preparation of a new model, the "C42' to replace the Avenger at Linwood. But this will only go ahead if all aspects of the plan till then are fulfilled.
The redundancies, if carried out, will mean a reduction of the workforce by 35 per cent, against a reduction of only 25 per cent in the number of cars pro duced. You don't need to be a mathematical venius to work out what this means a massive increase in productivity. Management hope to break the resistance of the workforce to this scheme through a revamped participation scheme which will mop up a divided and demoralised shop stewards organisation. without loss of pay, for occupation of plants facing redundancy, and for the bringing to account of the trade union leaders through the recall of the TUC is the best way in which all workers can stop the rot and assist their brothers and sisters in Chrysler who have been sold down the river.
the position in which the Government -TOUnG IESCH On the publication of the Govern-ment oroposais wiruit ursea steward to play it cool", and neither accept or reject the basis of the proposals for 8,300 redundancies. His alternative was to challenge the figures and Chrysler's presentation of them. What was in tact being proposed by this bureaucrat - the Communist Party-backed Broad Lett candidate in the recent AUEW elections - was that the stewaros should 1m l themselves to arguing about how many redundancies should take place and the management's impoliteness in presenting