their workforce back down the economic line.
Last week, 6,000 Chrysler workers at Linwood responded at a mass meeting to threats of closure and withdrawal by Chrysler by voting to set up a national Fighting Fund. John Carty, the Convenor, stated that any threat of closure by Chrysler boss John Riccardo, in his talks with Labour leaders next week, would be met by the demand for nationalisation without compensation.
And on the massive Hillington industrial estate, on the outskirts of Glasgow, 320 AUEW and AUEW/TASS members at Personna Razor Blades occupied their plant on 18 October. Personna is a subsidiary of the American Philip Morris complex, which owns American Safety Razor Inc., New York, and Marlboro's Cigarettes, Lausanne, Switzerland, and last year recorded profits in excess of $1.75 million.
The company had already this year persuaded the workers to accept 112 voluntary redundancies in three waves, on the basis of full production and manning until at least November 1976. The lightning visit of two Philip Clydeside is once again reaping the whirlwind of massive unemployment. In the last six months, Healey's programme for mass unemployment has thrown thousands of young Glasgow school-leavers straight onto the dole and sent the local unemployment rate up to 9 per cent - nearly twice the national average. Throughout 1975, the multinationals - which hold such a massive stake in West of Scotland industry - have time and again raised the spectres of closure and mass redundnacy to knock But now the resistance is growing Morris executives from the USA, however, brought rumours of further redundancies. The Shop Stewards Committee demanded a statement of intent from management and were immediately faced with management's demands in return: • 40 more redundancies; • 12.5 per cent increase in productivity; • multi-manning of machines; • total flexibility of labour.
The Personna workers went on strike immediately against this savage attack on their jobs and rights and, after three-and-a-half weeks of management intransigence, a mass meeting took over the factory and threw out the 15-strong management. The occupation is standing firm for: • No redundancies, 'voluntary' or otherwise; • No to work-sharing and shorter hours without full manning and pay; The Personna Shop Stewards Committee as a whole has no illusions about keeping politgow, G.52.
next week's Red Weekly. Phil McBride had this to say: builders (UCS). trial action.