Dearmer House, London SW2.
opening was the ever writes mainly financial strikers, particularly as Xmas The 1975 But the only effective way of countering such sell-out moves by involving the mass of They have shown that they are prepared to take acton se long as they are fully aware of what's going on. From the very first day of strike action completely WeCH dently of any recommendation wage claim. overwhelming decision of the mass meetings. It's been the feelings of the rank and file that La lightning England A recall of the nationa stewards conference in Covenday, MakE meetines would be a genuine HENRY FORD was well aware of all the good reasons for plant Almusafes, Valencia.
He liked to noint out that i highest investment ALBERTO MARTINEZ, who works there.
Ford's experts decided on Almusates after many months of searching for the perfect site.
- DODULAICE agricultural area with very little industry. A perfec source of cheap and weakly plant, built between 1976, used high technology, with the aim of keeping the workforce small was and boosting profits.
A workforce of 10,000 was producing 1,000 cars and 800 engines a day, within a month of the lines being opened.
Despite Ford's precautions, in January 1977 there was a two strike in the Management refused to comply with any of the points in our Initially they had agreed to some of our demands, but after visit to HQ in they changed minds. We stopped work, and Then we were ocked out We had mass meetings every and although eventually had to return to work with very mue gamed our unity was unbroken; there were no dismissais shop stewards organisation was untouched.
We had not achieved much, but we were not demoralised.
We were ready for future struggles and Ford management knew this. A few months later they set out to wreck our In May 1977 management provoked a strike for which the workers were prepared Management's carefully planned provocations and lack of on our side made CAUCIICHICC this possible.
For Ford this was a major victory. Fifty-six strikers wer dismissed, most of them completely broken up. Since then there has been att resistance to speed-up and other penalties.
We are beginning to rebuild our forces now. In September of this year we had elections for new Comite De Empresa (Works Committee) made up of 75 stewards representing al secuons or une plant.
Recently, worried by the lack of parts arriving from England Ford Valencia management Ineo the old tricks agam. ines attempted to provoke a strike to stop producuor time they did not succeed.
Now we have to prepare for the fights of the coming year.
TENE government pay policy here the struggle of the British Ford workers is particularly interestSocialist Challenge 23 November 1978 page 5