‘Left’ Trade Union Leaders avoid the Class Struggle

As we have pointed out previously over the last few years there are some ‘left’ Trade Union leaders dubbed by the media as the ‘awkward squad’. These ‘left’ TU leaders have been portrayed as ‘trouble-makers’ as far as the Government and employers are concerned, people who look for ways to stir up trouble for capitalism. If only this impression was true!

This year (2006) has shown that these ‘left’ TU leaders are in fact, in practice, little different than right-wing leaders, except for one important point – they are more effective in undermining and diverting the class struggle away from open confrontation with the employers and the state.

The right-wing TU leaders collaborated openly with the bosses and their state and vigorously denounced the workers and their strikes. This particular breed of ‘left wing’ leaders pose as ‘defenders of the workers’, but as leaders of the Trade Unions act little differently to their right-wing predecessors.

These same ‘left’ TU leaders often talk about campaigns against New Labour, ending the drift towards Tory policies by the Labour Party, in practice nothing is really done to oppose the Government. In reality by use of criticisms of Tony Blair and ‘New Labour’ these same ‘left’ TU leaders seek to divert workers’ attentions back into the Labour Party and into seeking the re-election of a Labour Government, the same Government organising the attacks upon the workers!

Vauxhall Strike at Ellesmere Port in May

Plans by the US General Motors to cut production at its Ellesmere Port plant on the Wirral, in what soon became apparent as the ending of one of its three shifts, with the ‘loss’ of 1,000 jobs, provoked an immediate wildcat strike. The morning shift of May 11th walked out as soon as it was clear that large scale redundancies were being discussed by Trade Union Leaders who were in Germany discussing with GM Europe chiefs about the future of the plant. The afternoon shift followed the lead of the morning shift, and refused to restart production. All the local union convenor could say is: ‘we have been betrayed. To say we are angry is a misunderstanding’.

The Trade Union leaders, nationally and locally, had been collaborating with the employers to increase production, and productivity, ever since the plant was opened in 1960. In 1998 Vauxhall Motors and the unions agreed a new-style three year productivity deal in which Japanese-style working practices would be introduced. As a result of this ‘deal’ the production of the Astra model would be increased to 160,000 a year by the adding of a third shift.

Since then production of the Astra has soared while the ability to sell them has already peaked. GM Europe is expected to have over 50,000 Astras unsold at the end of 2006. ‘Productivity gains’ had led to an increase of production by 20,000 cars at Ellesmere Port. The reward for exceeding all previous production levels was announced in April 2006 that the new Astra van would be built at Ellesmere Port.

The same old problem of over-production has arisen – they cannot sell sufficient cars at that price, so attacks have to be launched upon jobs and wage rates.

The meeting at Frankfurt between GM Europe Executives and Trade Union leaders was to discuss, amongst other matters, the re-launching of the Astra model for 2010. It was being rumoured by GM Europe that only four out of five European plants, in England, Germany, Belgium, Poland and Sweden, would be awarded the Astra contract. Hence wage and productivity rates would be on the table, and the loser would not be producing the new model.

The TU leaders who were discussing with GM Europe chiefs were not trying to oppose the level of job cuts, but merely that the ‘pain’ of job loses should be spread across the plants in Europe. This is a fine way to raise international issues – export job cuts: make other workers in other countries lose their jobs! It didn’t do the TU leaders any good, the idea of spreading the redundancies abroad – the 1,000 jobs were going at Ellesmere Port, and that was that.

Fears of job cuts led to ‘left’ TU leader Derek Simpson of Amicus having an urgent meeting with GM Europe chiefs in London, while Transport & General [TGWU] ’left’ leader Tony Woodley had talks with Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer, over fears of job losses.

The Shop Floor Workers walk-out

The attitude of the Vauxhall workers hardened when it became apparent that the bosses had a 90-item wish-list (already halved from even more drastic cuts) which included a five year wage freeze, to the introduction of compulsory overtime, paid at the standard rate, not at the increased overtime rate. Other demands on the bosses ‘wish-list’ included the pension scheme being closed to new employees, cuts in bonus payments and the loss of the shift premium (which alone is worth £140 per week). Without bonus payments and the shift premium it would not be worth many workers bothering to work at the plant.

The leaking of the company’s ‘wish-list’ gave the workers an idea of what the future had in store for them. Work faster, and for less wages, or your out! They responded by walking out. This is the first wildcat strike at a car plant on Merseyside for about two decades. The workers were convinced to return to work while they waited to hear what there fate was.

Both of these ‘left’ TU leaders declined to condemn the workers for walking out – very kind of them! They understood the anger of the workers. It is most instructive to see how both of these ‘left’s’ reacted to the attacks upon the workers, and what they proposed to do about it. They both called for the ending of ‘lax’ labour laws which meant workers could be made redundant easily, in comparison with other European countries.

Simpson warned that if GM went ahead with significant job cuts at Ellesmere Port he would see about Amicus ending its £8 million contract for cars for the union. He also warned that he would encourage union members, and their families, to buy cars from their competitors. Woodley continued with talks with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, to see if any additional Government funds could be made available to help workers affected by redundancies. Involvement of Government ministers turning up at factories to offer ‘assistance’ when mass redundancies are announced is a traditional strategy of defusing situations, as happened at Rover in Birmingham in 2005, as well as Peugeot at Ryton earlier in 2006.

No Sign of Class Struggle from the ’Left’ TU Leaders

After the announcement of the 900 redundancies by GM Europe mass meetings took place at Ellesmere Port and the employer’s offer was rejected. The workers listened passively when union officials urged workers to hold out to try and protect the long-term future of the plant.

After about a week there were enough enquiries about the redundancy package to make the whole process declared ‘voluntary’. The workers could instinctively grasp what their future would be: more work for less pay. So should they stay or should they go? As far as the long-term future of the plant is concerned (which the union leaders are seeking to protect) it is likely to be dependent upon EU funding through the Government. In this case workers would be correct in seeing that these ’left’ union leaders are more interested in ensuring the workers who remain are properly exploited. Of course the ’left’ TU leaders are interested in protecting jobs – their own!

The fraternal embrace of Brown, Woodley and Simpson continued well into the Autumn and beyond, even after the dust had settled over the job cuts at Ellesmere Port. There were more important matters than the workers and whether they could retain their jobs, and especially more importance than backing strikes – what about the future of a Labour government! An early hint by Simpson that New Labour should be torn up by the roots was quickly forgotten about. The Autumn TUC meeting was a tame affair, very respectful, with the ’left’ TU leaders in the main calling for an orderly handing over the Labour Party leadership to Brown. Gordon Brown, the holder of the money bags, would be the darling of the Left, the saviour of the Labour Movement, leading everyone into a bright future. What a fantasy world these guys must live in.

The united front between Brown and the ’left’ TU leaders is a curious one indeed. Simpson, Woodley and all have condemned the Government’s attacks upon the workers, along with measures such as Private Finance Initiatives, which has been a form of privatisation of Government services by the back door. And who has been the chief architect of all this, none other than their very good friend, Gordon Brown Chancellor of the Exchequer.

It is no accident that Gordon Brown is being projected as being ‘a bit on the left’ by all sorts of focus groups, as the natural alternative and rightful (pardon the pun) successor to Blair. Whether the hand-out is a peaceful process, or a long-drawn out affair, and if Brown is the next Prime Minister he will continue to be the architect of the more successful exploitations of the workers. And the way matters are shaping up he will be ably assisted by these same ’left’ TU leaders, who will no doubt be securing their own futures in the TUC, and possibly in the House of Lords.