solidarity, reports GEOFF BELL, The declaration followed a takcaver of Chrysler by Peugeot-Citroen.
It threatened international solidarity action up to and including industrial action' if sarantees over the future of jobs are not forthcoming Peugeor-Citroen The TEWAS CIS attitude. Referring specifically to Britain, Jean-Paul Parayre, chairperson of the company, salid he could offer no 'absolule guarantee on cmployment.
He added that the mainten ance of ail jobs at Chrysler UK was dependent considerations producAt first sight this contemp tuous dismissal of the union declaration Soems to be inviting THE SWISS city of Geneva was the unlikely location on 30 August for a ringing declaration of trade union trouble from the Spanish, and Australan trade union cadcrs who were at the Leneyn mocting:
But when the make-up of the personnel Geneva considered, Parayre's attitude is understandable Representing Britain werc: Terry Duffy, president-elect of Jenkins of the white collar Hamiey, national secretary of ASTMS;
STANSDOrE: UniOn White of the from and Steel Trades Confederation, Jolin Wood of the Mechanics, The abilicy of these gentlemen to summon up internanonal working class solidarity is, to pur it kindly, questionleading advocates of impor control.
introduction of such controls.
HIST American committee meeting, the AUEW did the same For Contederation therbanne of scel imports from this country 15 about the only policy it has on offer for solving the massive crisis in the steel industry. week's declaration seems a break from this British workers first and damn the rest tradition, then it THE TEE The meeting in Switzerland ESTHELLE and sai and is these the Metal proposed car giant is nose Herman Rebhan, secretary of the International Metalworkers Federation Jenkins i one of Britain's who convened the meeting. At its last conference, called for the workers national into hewers of drawers of water." the Iron and Steel Genera tional solidarity by union (com Britain especially Britain in the it saves British jobs.
general they spelt this out when he said; action.
We are concerned that the Spunish plants will... be turned wood and The workers at the French unionisation. plants will be unlikely to be sympathetic to this approach.
Given the history of the leadership of the British trade union they could hardly he blamed for assuming That the new found promotion links for such solidarity is hased on ATTALIS Lie same, narrow chauvinistic countries. concerts which, for Instance, have led a number of British unions to demand controls on ESET IT the import of Japanese cars.
In short, international soli- conectned darily is a great thing as long as Even if French union leaders were sympathetic to calls for solidarity with British workers, will have difficulty turning such sympathy into Only ten per ceul of the workers at Pougeor-Citroen are past Citroen management has used missical Silence 10 smash This does not mean that international solidarity among the workers in the new car giant is not possible or desirable. But the approach taken by the leaderships cocourage such solidarity.
The best way is to establish between the actual Specifically, Jinks between the shop sewards in Britain and thee cquivalents tween the rank and file in all the countries Once established, such links could prepare plans for strike action in one country if lobs were threatened elsewhere Al the moment the establish- save ment of such rank and file international solidacity is far Bose JEAN-PAUL PARAYRE ou; certamly the trade Union leaderships will do nothing so словигадс ів Necertheless the building of will achieve somerbing Terry Duffy and bis Friends at Geneva have shown Building i rent campsign to intention or daing jahs at the Barest car-melinational to enter the big league.