South Wales job losses

Twenty shop stewards and activists recently attended a joint Welsh Shop Stewards Network and Swansea trades council meeting to discuss the avalanche of job cuts in south west Wales.

Rob Williams, the Unite convenor at Linamar (formerly Visteon) introduced the discussion: “What’s left of manufacturing is on the edge. Billions have been spent ‘saving’ the financial system but vital parts of industry and services could go to the wall. If companies threaten redundancies they should be nationalised and made to operate in the interests of the whole of society.”

During a lively discussion, the Unite branch secretary at Ford Bridgend highlighted the crisis facing the car industry. He argued for a fighting militant response to save jobs.

Unfortunately his prediction of further cuts in the car industry was hammered home the following day by the Linamar announcement.

Alec Thraves