[by a Lucas shop STRIKERS from the Lucas…]
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-11-12Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 15 →
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by a Lucas shop STRIKERS from the Lucas Aerospace plants at Shaftmoor Lane and Marston Green in Birmingham are attempting to spread their strike.
They have been out since October 14, after management suspended workers who were refusing to operate Visual Display Units (VDUs).
The workers are now picketing the Spring Road and York Road plants.
At a works conference at Shaftmoor Lane on October 8, the company had refused to come to an agreement on new technology, but they promised continued local discussions. Then, on Thursday 13th, they tried to introduce VDUs in the stores at Marston Green and Shaftmoor Lane.
When the T&GWU and AUEW members involved refused to work them, they were taken off the clock. APEX members were then told to do the job, and in turn were suspended when they refused.
The next day a mass meeting of TASS, APEX, TGWU, and AUEW members voted to strike from the following morning if the workers were not reinstated.
The strike has been supported by the joint manual workers' combine committee in Lucas Aerospace, and has been made official by APEX, TGWU, and the AUEW.
Workers at other Lucas Aerospace factories outside Birmingham have been able to reach agreement on the introduction of new technology: Only in Birmingham has the company refused to settle.
The key to winning the strike is spreading it to involve other Aerospace division factories throughout the country, even though they have already got new technology agreements. There is no doubt that if the company wins this battle, they will use it as a lever against the other plants.
THE Trades Council in Accrington has called a demonstration next week to protest against the rise of mass unemployment. At present 1 in 7 people are out of work in Accrington.
Despite thè obvious hostility from the Tories, the local Labour council have given the Trades Council free use of the Town Hall for a rally and also has advertised the demo on local buses.
The demonstration must learn the lessons of the People's March, which was ignored by the TUC as far as action is concerned, and make it a rallying call for action in the area to defend jobs and to organise the unemployed:
Details:_assemble .30, station, form auch and rally at 2:30.