beginnings of a mood amongst the rank and file to launch some The problem aps that officiele and presenod to the company before we sot to see it wan lumbered with a vety Oe can шanand oi 13 por cent Deplie many other dauses in the long shopping list of demands, management was able to buy olf a strugeic by offering 12% per cent.
The officials led by Moss Evans sut on the fence. They refused to call for acceptance of management's offer, but they also refused to Added to this, votes at mas moctings are not based on a "head count" of Ford workers, but on a 'plant by plant' basis - cach plant having an squal voice despite their different si his situation bs stil the same this year. The difference is the MaSSIE ILLUSU LEHE AMALIE support of the claim, which was drawn uD not sust D full-time convenors committee but by the 4 June conference of shop stewards in Coventry.
This claim has generated massive cothusiasm on the shop foor. Many workers starting good McCRAE, Hugenham waring a badge, produced by the unotficial rank and Workers" Combine for the full claim with no have not been known for their militancy showed real interest in the claim.
-BILS determined to fight this year when Ford annonced massive profits of E250 million.
With Company son, Sir Terry Beckett being 'rewarded" increase of HD per cent, worth f459 per week and taking him to oNer E54,000 a year, they had no intention of heing fobbed off with some derisory offer.
At Dagenham, it was at first left to shop meetings organised by the stewards who recommended at 24-hour stoppuge, to Halewood and elsewhere.
With this degree of action the union leadership was clearly recommendation, taken lo the Monday mass meetings, called trate an organising the strugale and ensure no retreat on the full claim, What's really important 15 Thar we den't leave it up ro the full-time officials.
file W C'vE them in the past - calling who is the chief TWU officer respotuible for Ford negotiatoms, previously hamble district secretary for the area that covered Dagehham In 1974, during the press WAETE shop strike, BICS JACCH OVE EET TERS C the stewards with full cooperatob of the Company rocomChairper- mending a return to work, after only onc wock of strike action. salary can't rely people. That's wy is vital there are regular mass meetings and the election of local strike computlees to run che dispute Most soporlaot must be a recall of the Coventry national shop stewards confercoce to elect a national strike committee had experience Koll Todd HIE BEITE IWOR Basspun 25 a her and the press.
he organised a pro-capilabist, Tory working peaple.!
of all, there who had just action. FOLLOWING the mass meetDagenham body decisions. plant on Monday, Sid Harraway, Communist Party memconvenor the relused to stewards committee talked lo for?
BRIAN GROGAN report», "We doe'l want to challenge tomorrow. the authorits of the govern Harraway declared, 'but it is coming to us in a contradictory way. If it pursues policies, warkers? hen it has only itself to blame Ior the loss of support troi Harraway's leftism reflected regular the high feeling of the several hundreds af jubilant workers voted nearly unanimously for all our strike Would he be making any demands on the TUC? "The TUC i alteady committed to supporting the fight against the 5 per cent through Congress But wasn't this the case with the fire rigters which the mobilise suppor 'Yes. But maEy thinu nave changed sance inen. ois strike will escalate. The whole of Ford will be closed down by Thüs is where the real steenerb Jieg.
Did this mean he would be figling to mobilise the full strength of the Dagenlam week "We are so solid chat ouly token picketing is required. We live. con't need flying pickets and MACCHI necessary the doeks will be blacked through the official machinery of the TaG. special call is necessary The union fully supports the strike.
Harraway didn' feel chat the Ford workers were taking on the govermnent. Fords could pay and should ignore the 5 per