Workers displayed high spirits in the cold weather conditions, including the pickets at one gate who were caged in by an intimidating high metal fence.

The union is demanding wage “parity with Jaguar and other car plants,” said Tim Parker, a regional officer of the union, AMICUS, in an interview with the Militant. The current dispute began when the company refused to discuss this demand during annual pay negotiations.

Striking workers and union officials from the three unions who organize the plant—AMICUS, Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU), and GMB—explained that support for the strike is 100 percent. In addition to their wage demands, there are other issues facing workers in the plant. This was reflected in a sign held up at one of the factory gates that read “Not Just Pay.”

Parker described the company’s assault on working conditions. “They keep giving us a blank check in working practices,” he said. The bosses have been pressing for increased “flexibility” over the last two years, he explained. “They keep coming back for more and workers have had enough of the bullying and intimidation.”

For the past two years workers have been working under a system the company dubs “operating time flexibility.” Parker explained the meaning of this set-up, “They could ask for 10 extra hours on the working week,” he said, meaning that in a 37-hour workweek the company can force workers to put in 47 hours. Since the latter part of December there has been an overtime ban in place and workers have withdrawn from the company’s flexible working time arrangement.

The company took a decision in late January to end the production of the Rover model, Freelander, at the Solihull plant and shift production to its plant in Halewood, Merseyside near Liverpool instead. The decision to shift the work would create job losses in Solihull of around 1,000 workers. “They like playing off workers in the different regions against each other,” explained Parker.

Many of the workers on the picket line explained that they could not be quoted. The company has been carrying out a campaign of bullying and intimidation, and one of the targets of this campaign has been the union.

“Twelve to 18 months ago a new set of management was brought in,” explained Parker. “These new production managers try to rule the plant by dictate. The company is talking about changes to the existing union structures. They want to limit the amount of shop stewards in the plant.”

One shop steward on the picket line who did not want to be named said he thought there was roughly one shop steward for every 50 workers.

Another worker, who asked that his name not be used, explained what he thought the stakes were in the fight. “If the company get what they want at this plant then they will do the same at all their other plants.”

Workers are set to carry out a second 24-hour strike action on February 9. Workers at another Ford plant in Aveley Essex will be balloted for strike action on February 2 by their unions, the TGWU and AMICUS, following the company’s decision to close the plant.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home