Building Workplace Norkplac Branches
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-09-29Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 9 →
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relevant wards and CLPs. The great majority were in Coventry and there was little problem.
At the inaugural meeting, shortly before the election, the Regional Official told the meeting that he couldn't give them the go-ahead because Party work was suspended for the duration of the general We did election work in the factory and recruited more people to the Party. We had been meeting informally in the Social Club on the plant and we now wrote and asked for proper meeting facilities in the Club. This request was vetoed by BL senior industrial relations management.
An important part of the preparatory work for the workplace branch was the connection with the joint shop stewards committee. The people originally involved were stewards, including two senior shop stewards, one of whom was the chair of the main TGWU branch. The work that was being done was regularly reported to the shop stewards committee, and passed back by stewards to their members.
The branch put out a leaflet management s reisa to allow meetings on the plant, which went 'down well. This coincided with BL's: victimisation of workers at Cowley and raised the same basic issue.
The branch decided to circulate a petition for the right to hold meetings on the plant, and this is still being circulated. One Speakers: problem has been an intimidating effect of the Cowley sackings on some of the workforce.
There bas been a problem about the time of meetings. The workforce of over 2,000 comes from all over North Warwickshire and many depend on lifts to get home - and so they find it difficult to stay at the end of a shift. And Friday afternoon is one of the main shopping times. Alternative times for meetings Chair: have been discussed - but there is only half an hour for lunch and if you had a rolling meeting over a series of lunch breaks it would have to be on plant, Although there are 400 women in the factory, so far only one is involved in the workplace branch.
BOB CLAY MP (Campaign Group)
ALAN FRASER (UCW. Chair, Basingstoke Postal Workers LP Branch)
LOL DUFFY (GMBATU. Secretary, Cammell Lairds LP :
Workplace Branch)
DAWBER (NUR. Sheffield Hallar CLP)
CROWDER (NALGO. East Nottingham CLP delegate) (Speakers in a personal capacity)
KINGS HOTEL, 139/141 Kings Road, utes walk from Conference Centre)
5.30pm, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Scan page 10
Socialist Ofganiser, 29 September 1983, Page 10