‘AN occupation now is the way forward for GM Luton and Vauxhall Ellesmere Port to defend jobs. A mass meeting at GM Luton is urgently needed to decide on the policy to defend jobs.’
This was the call from former Vauxhall Luton convenor Arthur Lynn on the eve of a meeting between Business Secretary Mandelson and Unite officials yesterday.
Lynn was interviewed on local radio earlier yesterday where he was asked about the meeting with Mandelson.
He said: ‘I don’t like the fact that Unite officials are going down the road of big business.’
He added: ‘The only way forward is nationalisation.’
The presenter cut him short, turning to local Unite official Andy Faunighan to ask: ‘Have you thought about nationalisation?’
Faunighan replied: ‘Well, no, really.
‘We don’t think that is necessary. We won’t be discussing that, it won’t be part of our presentation (to Mandelson).’
Mandelson’s department said in a statement yesterday: ‘The Business Secretary is having a series of meetings in the UK and Germany this week to discuss Vauxhall and its future as part of GM Europe.
‘Lord Mandelson has met a number of senior representatives from the Unite union and local MPs of the Luton plant today.
‘He will then travel to Germany where he will be meeting with senior Chancellery officials and Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
‘He is also due to hold talks with Magna, the preferred bidder for GM Europe.
‘The UK government has been working closely with all the parties involved for months to set up a long term capital structure for GM Europe, including the UK operations in Ellesmere Port and Luton.’
Mandelson said: ‘The UK government is at the heart of the discussions on securing a commercial solution for GM Europe.’
Former Luton convenor Lynn told News Line: ‘The admission by a Unite official that the union will not be raising nationalisation has made it quite clear that the Unite leaders are putting all their hopes on money from the government as the way to keep GM Europe (GME) in this country.
‘Appealing to Mandelson is pointless. He has said that costs and capacities need to be reduced.’
Lynn warned: ‘What is also significant is the statement by Tony Woodley that LDV has been in a vulnerable position for years and that its closure with 800 sackings is not due to any lack of effort by either Unite or the government.
‘People will see that is not based on fact. If LDV was in a bad position for years, why have the unions, Unite and the TUC not been campaigning for nationalisation?
‘Unite’s efforts have amounted to convincing workers to sacrifice hard-won wages and conditions in an attempt to keep them in jobs, but this has only led to more demands from employers for more sacrifices and hasn’t saved a single job.’
l Unite convenor Rob Williams has been reinstated to his post at the Swansea plant of car components maker Linamar, the company and the union announced yesterday.
The decision came as workers at the plant were preparing to strike for Williams’ reinstatement.
It reverses last month’s dismissal of Williams by the company and means that the strike, due to start today, has been called off.
Unite assistant general secretary, Len McCluskey said: ‘We are delighted at this outcome, which represents a victory for the solidarity of the workforce at Linamar.
‘It is also a tribute to the wider support for Rob expressed by the labour movement throughout Wales in particular.’
He added: ‘Now this dispute is behind us, we are looking forward to working constructively with the company to help secure the future of the Swansea plant in the very difficult worldwide economic environment.’
