WEEKLY WITH AN ESTIMATED 4 million workers now on reduced hours, short-time working has tured from a gale to a whirlwind in the crisis-tor motor industry. The big three manufacturers -Leyland, Fords and ChryslerChryslers already has 10,000 of its 21,000 manual workers on a two or "guaranteed week" agreement has now run out, and workers' wages have slumped by as much as t26 from the former E54 per week average, even including benefit money. A survey carried out by engineering employers in the heavily dependent components industry suggest that there are another 25,000 workers on short-time in the Coventry area alone, even At the moment mass sackings would be met by a wave of factory occupations, which is why Ford management present short-time as "Cutbacks to avoid Redundancies' in their paper Ford News.
But even short-time working on this scale will not solve the car bosses" problems. Along with natural wastage, which cut British Leyland's workforce by 10,000 in ly to bring it into line with shorthave instituted a system of -non-co operation with management, as the and more anti-social hours, While to the policy of non-cooperation, they are basically trying to keep the lid on this dispute, as management to provoke lay-offs which would not he covered by the lay-off agreement.
of the workforce around the strug Dagenham maintenance men, alleged time working. The maintenance men new shift system means harder work the plant leadership and the Connunist Party are giving a certain support would use the excuse of strike action Instead of fighting for the unity