What's up ?!
CB
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OVER 100,000 MARCH IN BIRMINGHAM -
DEFEND ROVER JOBS! NATIONALISATION NOW! FOR A WORKERS RESCUE PLAN!
Saturday's demonstration in support of the Rover workers in Birmingham was
a massive show of strength not seen since October 1992. The size of the
demonstration, numbering over 100,000, was the biggest demo Birmingham has
seen since the 1970s. It was a throughly working class demonstration, as
wave after wave of protesters with their trade union banners represented a
brilliant show of class solidarity.
If transport had been laid on by the unions in every area, the turn-out
would have been three or four times as much. There is a mood across the
country against the growing job losses, as news breaks of more redundancies
across the manufacturing sector. It is time for action on behalf of the
Labour movement. The mood on the Birmingham demonstration was defiant and
shows the possibilities for class action to protect jobs.
Unfortunately, the trade union leaders who spoke did not offer any way
forward. Their whole approach was the defence of BRITISH manufacturing
industry, where the interests of the workers and bosses were the same. As
opposed to the German BMW bosses, who had no interest in British jobs,
British bosses would be more patriotic! In the words of Bill Morris of the
TGWU, "For us, the initials BMW must mean British manufacturing workers."
Such a remark goes against the solidarity shown for the Rover workers by
many trade unionists accross Europe, including Germany. One German car
worker, Hans Koebrick, who had travelled from Berlin to attend the march
was quoted in the Morning Star (3/4/00) as follows: "I want to show my
support for Longbridge. I could be involved in the next crisis."
Tony Woodley, the TGWU national motor secretary, went so far as to say it
was a fight to reduced the number of redundancies, as if there was an
acceptable figure!
Sir Ken Jackson of the AEEU has called for a boycott of BMW. Well, it may
be news for Jackson, but most workers have been boycotting BMW, as well as
Ferrari and Porche for years!!! Now he wants James Bond to Buy British!
Such a strategy would simply pit British workers against foreign workers.
Our task must be to build unity of the working class across national
boundaries. That is the only way to beat the multinationals.
The crisis in the car industry deepened on the weekend as Honda announced
that it was halving vehicle production for the next two months at its
Swindon plant. At the same time, there is deep anxiety of the future of the
Ford plant in Dagenham as the Ford bosses look for reductions in capacity.
Despite the show of strength and feeling, the workers were scandalously
snubbed by Tony Blair. The day after the demonstration, he ruled out any
government intervention to save the threatened jobs. The Labour government
would not mount a rescue operation but oversee its "transition". Blair went
on: "governments in the past, of both major political parties, have been
drawn towards rescuing a company in difficulties.
"We see our role now as helping to equipe people and business for the new
economy - as encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship."
The government has offered £152 million in aid to BMW, while the plant's
closure would mean £500 million to state benefits to those made redundant.
Far better if Rover was nationalised and run by the workers. If rationally
planned, with job diversification, and integrated into a publically owned
car industry these jobs could be saved. It is time the Labour government
got off its knees!
A one day strike across the Rover combine linked to a mass lobby of
Parliament can served to build up the pressure to forced the Labour
government to take immediate action to save the 60,000 jobs that are now
under threat.
It shows that the battle has to be taken into the Labour Party against the
pro-capitalist policies of the Blair government. Only a socialist programme
involving the nationalisation of the big monopolies, banks and insurance
companies can the economy be planned in the interests of the working class
and not the prfits of millionaire parasites.
Rob Sewell
3rd April 2000
Socialist Appeal
PO Box 2626
London N1 7SQ
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.socialist.net
http://www.marxist.com
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