BMW Workers Self-Organising Against Bosses and Sellout Union
brum wobbly | 23.02.2009 19:40 | Workers' Movements | Birmingham | Oxford
At 6 am this morning there was a small picket in response to the lay off of 850 agency workers, outside two gates of BMW's mini car plant in Cowley, Oxford. We were expecting a mass picket of laid off temp workers. These workers have been self-organising against their bosses and the corrupt union leaders who've essentially sold them out.
When we arrived at the main gate at around 6:15 am, there were only a couple of recently sacked temp workers on the picket. Apart from the workers there were the usual suspects selling newspapers, local trade unionists promoting a meeting and some students from Ruskin College eager to show some solidarity. There was also a suited representative from BMW talking to press.
We did however manage to interview a recently retired forklift truck worker. He gave us the low-down on the lay offs and the very brief worker's picket. The picket/meeting happened at 6 am precisely, where sacked workers from last weekend's shift forewarned their fellow workers that 150 workers were being brought in from Swindon to replace their jobs. He then went on to explain how BMW have stopped overtime and cut weekend shifts but have increased production line speed and upped production. He also explained how BMW, through the Working Time Account (WTA), have screwed the workers even further.
We did however manage to interview a recently retired forklift truck worker. He gave us the low-down on the lay offs and the very brief worker's picket. The picket/meeting happened at 6 am precisely, where sacked workers from last weekend's shift forewarned their fellow workers that 150 workers were being brought in from Swindon to replace their jobs. He then went on to explain how BMW have stopped overtime and cut weekend shifts but have increased production line speed and upped production. He also explained how BMW, through the Working Time Account (WTA), have screwed the workers even further.
brum wobbly
Additions
LDV workers in Washwood Heath, Birmingham face the dole
23.02.2009 23:01
One of the main headlines today was the proposed bailout of LDV in Birmingham. The bosses at LDV want the state to bail them out with £30 million. The workers, however, have been told nothing about their future and haven't been into work since December 12th 2008. Instead they've been down to the dole office with their wage slips to see if they're elligible for jobseeker's allowance.
There are 850 jobs in the plant, 1,200 jobs in the dealer network and about 4,000 jobs in the supplier industry which are at risk.
There are 850 jobs in the plant, 1,200 jobs in the dealer network and about 4,000 jobs in the supplier industry which are at risk.
brum wobbly
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