Fight The Bosses’ Closure Plan at Jaguar

Jaguar crisis:

Fight The Bosses’ Closure Plan

NEWS THAT Ford will end Jaguar car production at the Brown’s Lane plant
in Coventry has been met here with shock and anger. Now the workers are
fighting back. Trade union shop stewards have unanimously agreed to fight
the closure with workers overwhelmingly backing action, including a strike
ballot.

Dave Griffiths and Rob Windsor, Coventry Socialist Party

Coventry workers have been given a solidarity boost after workers at
the Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham (where Ford wants to shift
production to), said they would support any action the Coventry workers
take.

There should be no transfer of work between plants without the
agreement of the workers at the plants concerned.

Brown’s Lane is not just a car plant. It’s put Coventry on the world
map for skill and craftsmanship for over half a century. Workers have
given decades of hard work, increased productivity and big profits to the
bosses. And this is their reward from US multinational, Ford – the sack!

Keith White, TGWU union convenor at Jaguar, said workers had been
"kicked in the teeth by Ford."

1,200 jobs will go, but most here fear even worse. Derek Simpson
general secretary of the Amicus union said: "Ford’s decision may kill
off Jaguar altogether."

Ford callously announced the news (following rumours that emerged only
mid-week) while workers were off work and left to watch helplessly on TV.
No wonder people are disgusted.

The end of car production will blow a minimum £50 million hole in
Coventry’s economy, never mind its knock-on effects in the supply
industry.

In the last two years we have lost Massey Ferguson, Marconi has
virtually gone, a shift has gone at Peugeot and now Jaguar. Working people
here fear that everyone in the city will become ‘burger flippers’ working
on minimum wages.

Few have confidence that the remaining scraps of Jaguar jobs will last
long or even that the research and design plant at Whitley, employing
2,000, has a long term future.

Fightback is growing

THE SOCIALIST Party has called for the trade unions to organise a
national demonstration to defend manufacturing jobs, in Coventry. We
welcome union leaders referring to an ’emergency meeting to build support
through local unions’ and of organising a demonstration. Hopefully an
immediate date will be announced as soon as possible.

Socialist Party councillors will present a petition, enthusiastically
endorsed by Coventry workers on public stalls last Saturday, to Thursday’s
council meeting calling on the council to organise a ‘City meeting’ to
mobilise support for Jaguar workers and their families.

Many believe that Ford are asset stripping industry here. They are
making huge profits globally but now they are asking workers to pay. We
have also called for Ford’s to open the company accounts. Let’s see the
real figures!

"Where have all the factories gone?", asked one young
correspondent to Coventry’s evening paper. Coventry is now "dominated
by call centres, warehouses and greeting card shops. I feel like a
heartless corporation has ripped the heart out of our proud and
industrious city."

That’s exactly what’s happened. It’s time for Jaguar and all Coventry
workers to fight back.

  • Strike to defend jobs.
  • Organise a city-wide demo and industrial action in support of
    jobs and skills.
  • Ford should be forced to open up the company accounts for
    inspection. Let’s find out the real financial situation.