Carol Miller's 'break a strike moh' were sent reeling at their meeting last week, called to set up an associ stion of Cowey car workers wires Wonten trade unionists from the Maxi trim-shop and the works cantoen, supported by workers' wives and other militants, inclading a group of London nurses, outnumbered Mis Miller's supporters and decisively put them to roat.
Two votes wete taken at the meeting There were overwhelming majorities in lavour of the reinstatement of Alan Thornett, und for the defence of busic trade union rights! This wal a blow not simply at Mos Miller but helped to disrupt the plans of the mana gettent and its allies From the beginning Miller has tecerved lavish support, not least from the deford Journal, sawant for the • 'Tree" advertising paper which hande out 20,000 copies each week. For several weeks this sheet carried sensationalist attacks on the unions publicity to lier demonstration. The Joannal.
at the first demonstration as the is hardly likely to foel the economic pinch since she is a landlord of suhatantial property in Oxford, Her lusband works in the Technical suffers trom lay-otis. No coaht tion in which she played a promin exploit the "warens" revolt", This is the group led by Eileen MacGibhon, wile of a car worker, who rang Radie Oxford with a witriolic attack on Thornell and the union, and was cordiaily invited to run a series of "phone in" programunes. no move wus made to go back, and OXFORD JOURNAL plant branch. at Cowley, and put Radio Oxford on to Miller, which then gise continuous 'neutral" chalrman of her first meeting was mone other than the editor of the wife of a laid-off car worker, yet whe Publications Departnent which never Mrs Butler thinks an oogoing organise- and the way that the right wing has ent rale could be a uscful vote-getter.
Other fortes have attempted to It was then that she pur torward While no otber large bramcbos are on strike, the danger of ils isolation causing some demoralisation sill rianains. But at the slington branch mectins on Mondey CAPITA was for the recognition of Thornert on a pro-tem hans to be followed hy an 'lodependent" inquiry, Parsons, a leadine demagogue loc the right wing in the factory, sugested that when the men returned to work they should throw out Thornett.
Parsons is a former meinber of the Socialist Labour League, now known as the Workers Kevolutionary Party, and in his more militant days as deputy senior steward be led the fight against Measured Day Work Now in allance with the remonal and national bureaucracy be has set has sights on replacing Bobby Fryer as senior steward for the T&GWU This unholy alliance represents menEs. a much mote serious threat than the fotces grouped atound Miller. Mr Mac Gibbon, a dedicated right-winger, has proposed a march to Wilson or Jack Jones, He is abso working with Parsons to divide the TAGWU S/55 branch, splitting off the sectors whete the WRP has any base, If they succeed this would leave Parsons in charge of an assembly Ir was the MacGibbon-Parsons forces who started the petition for a support. special branch meeting wner nakGibbon intended to put a vote of no confidence in Thomett. Radio Oxfoed-devoted as it h to the 'democratic cause of oppoung outside interference in the uaoo made frequent announcements of the time and place whete TAGWU members could sigo this petition UNION LEADERS Tho use by the management and the medin of the wives" discontent, plugsed into this, deals a shaep bluw to the pobicies of pure trade unroni50" and "wages mittancy The hackcloth to the present siteation lies in the alienation of many workers from the union Icaders in the assembly plant. Since the defeated struggle against Measured Day Work three years ago, the work fonce has sulfered a series of minor deleuts. The culmination of Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report) these was the defeat inflicled by the maangement's breach of the industrial engineers agrocment Workers have suffered considerahle losses in carnings with no tangible returns, and the undemocratic and manipulative methods of the WRI stewards have further fuelled this discontent wlich the management has been delighted to seize on and direct against Thornett.
Workers" wives have experienced a period of considerahle hardship ever since the end of the three-day wock. There has heen a series of never-ending disputes as workers have fought against the company s ruthles and constant breach of agreeWorkers can often he won to the defence of the union-despite leit mistrust of thoir leaders by workshop experience. However, their wives ane wolaled and tramientcd into family units and often Identity the union with loms of carnings The short-sighted union leaders nASC MBOC DO dEPCaIPE LU LaYOLFL workers" families in the struceles No meeting have been arranged for their wives in order to win their ORGANISE WIVES This was farther co aplicated at Cowlry because the strike breaking fonce came from the wire of laid-off workers, Thee wosen therefote cume under the presure not only of the employers and the press, but also from their own husbands, many of whom were irate at being lnid-off.
Although a fight back was organised by multant women warkers, the trade union leaders und the WRP in particular played no part in this. Many of the mile worker opposed the Miller, Mac Gibhas farces on the most renction ary grounds, saying that women should not meditle in the factory This argument perpetuates the divisions bet ween the wives and the militant To lact what is noeded is*to inolve wives in the lasucs at the factory so that they identify their interests with those of the warklarce.
Cowley serves dramatic notice that the struggle aguiast the