THE FIRST serious divisions within the Lucas Aerospace shop stewarus commrnce responsible for drawing up an extensive plan sociallyuseful products — are likely to emerge SUYCE an agreement reached last week between the company, the government, and COE 1 Shipbuilding and Unions.
The daily press, from right to left, unanimous in verdict on the agreement.
*Radical plans gain respectability', announced the Financial Times. 'Lucas stewards score hit in *alternative work" drive', declared the Morning Star's headline.
Industry minister Gerald Kaufman, who chaired tripartite meeting, was among the cheer leaders.
But behind the agreement, which already has the support of several stewards in combine, a number of combine members see the acceptance of job loss and the danger of an end to the independent role which their committee played in challenging dictates of the capitalist mATKe.
At the centre of the present battle was Lucas Aerospace's decision last year to close plants in Liverpool and which employ OVer workers.
The new agreement gives the go-ahead to these closures, with the concession that a Lucas factory be opened Huyton, Merseyside, would employ 800 instead of the 500 originally proposed.
A new plant is also to be opened in Bradford. But this still leaves 650 of the Liverpool workers facing the dole queue, with 'no compulsory redundancies' over the next two years. t was the accepfance of these concessions by John Mottram, Engineering Union convenor at the Liverpool tripartite meeting which opened the way to the agreement.
Its supposedly radical measures are the setting up of a joint working party to examine suggestions for new products, the assistance CuPInSuO AWARRII If any 'commercially viable' products emerge, Lucas Industries will use endeavours' to them. The eight-strong working the party will include two shop first stewards.
When the 72 shop stewards in Lucas Aerospace meet shortly to consider the new agreement, the one proposal that is likely to be put is that representation on the working party should be on the basis of: no job loss; diseussion of socially-useful products; and has accountability of the representhe tatives to the shop floor.
*Phil Asquith, an executive memper or tte cucas comoe committee, will be one of the speakers at a national trade union conference on Workers' Plans and Workers' Control, 2,000 organised by lenge.
It will be held on 28 April (note new date) at Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham. Cost £1. Creche available. Tickets from: SCTU Conference, Box 50, London N1 2XP. the campaigners. Workshops heard how a woman teacher Pickwick was victimised after a checklist. SE9 4SA. was published in Spare Rib on approaches to victory Two students recounted how THE Street The campaign will call an to discuss and direction. failed to include evidence TELC anti-sexist policy, and a campaign for its by unions and found in the offices.
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