Communist Party's role in negating 39hr week

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AD mumpany Tock Adams: and what happened THE MORNING Star, daily MORNING Star, daily paper of the Communist Party, carried in its issue of December 22 the results of a survey it had done on the implementation of the 39 hour week in the engineering industry.

This revealed that •almost every area in the country reports attempts to negate the 39 hour week" • "Methods range from cutting tea-break or washing time to arbitrarily increasing productivity targets and abolishing timekeeping bonuses"

The Star quotes Ken Brett, Assistant General Secretary of the AUEW, as saying that this will only be resisted by "determined leadership"

The article then goes on to say that many people feel that 'leadership has been lacking at national level" and says, "local strength has been the decisive factor' A number of CP members and 'Broad Left' supporters from around the country are quoted on the way they have defeated [or, in some cases, partially defeated] the employers' attacks. But what is left out of the article is what happened at BL. The article says that the dispute there "highBL Cowley Body Plant) - Cowley Body Plant) about the 39 hour week at his vetter lighted" the employers' attacks and was only 'the tip of the iceberg"

But the reality is that it was at BL's Longbridge plant that the employers and the government took their key stand. That was the test case for the whole working class over the 39 hour week.

It was also the place where the working class showed it was not wanting in determination to defend its conditions.

The four week strike reportedly lost, BL 100 million: but the workforce was defeated.

Every employer factory? country was strengthened by the victory. Every trade unionist — whether in the rest of BL or elsewhere in the engineering industry _ is now fighting a rearguard action in defence of conditions.

It is no wonder that the Morning Star article never mentioned what happened. It is true, of course, that at Longbridge "national leadership" was "lacking" (this formula is the standard Stalinist term for sellout].

But the decisive role in the sell-out was played by leading CP member Jack convenor Not only did Adams end up recommending and fighting for a deal worse than the original offer, but even before the strike started he was offering to get 40 hours' work in 39 hours.

The only difference between the 'Communist' Adams and the management was over the method by which the company would get its extra hour's work. He was completely in agreement with negating the 39 hour week.

Socialist Organiser supporters will of course defend any CP members or others fighting the employers' attacks over the implementation of the 39 hour week. But we make it quite clear that the CP has played a decisive role in the employers getting away with their attacks.

The 39 hour week should have been a stage towards shortening the dole queues as part of the fight against unemployment.

Every CP member who supported the 'People's March for Jobs' or the 'Jobs Express' or in any way declares their opposition to unemployment, should be asked where they stand over Jack Adams and the 39 hour week sell-out.

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Socialist Organiser no. 67 January 7. 1982 Page 4 Wora News™