‘What is needed is a mass lobby of parliament to demand nationalisation,’ former GM Luton TGWU convenor Arthur Lynn told News Line yesterday.
Commenting on the situation at the Luton GM plant, Lynn said: ‘The union convenors are still refusing to call a mass meeting.
‘The unions must be more active in involving the membership. They must do what the members want, which means demanding the plant be nationalised.
‘The workers must be brought into the equation, otherwise the plant will close.
‘The protest on Wednesday cannot be allowed to be a stunt with a few Vivaro vans.
‘Coaches should be booked so the workers can go down to lobby MPs and hold a mass meeting in Central Hall, Westminster.
‘Five or six convenors going down won’t change anything.
‘By the union leadership refusing to involve the membership, they are leaving the Luton plant isolated from the rest of GM Europe.
‘The reason why they won’t call a mass meeting or bring loads of members down to lobby MPs is that they are opposed to the plant being nationalised and don’t want intense pressure put on MPs to do this.
‘Yet everybody knows that this is the only policy that can save all Luton GM workers’ jobs.’
ATUA national secretary Dave Wiltshire said: ‘The move by GM management in Luton to seek volunteers to move off the night shift is being seen as very dangerous by workers at the plant.
‘It will leave a skeleton shift on nights and is being seen as clear indication that the night shift will cease altogether.
‘This could be the beginning of the closure of the entire plant, despite Unite union officials building up hopes in Mandelson getting a deal with Magna.
‘Very few think that anything will come of it.
‘This Wednesday’s protest by Unite involves driving a few Vivaro vans down to Westminster to lobby MPs and is seen as a stunt.
‘Despite saying all are welcome to attend, no attempt has been made to lay on coaches or organise for a mass turnout.
‘Clearly this is designed as a smokescreen to cover up the complete capitulation of the Unite leadership.
‘The fact that they have explicitly rejected the call for nationalisation means they are prepared to accept as inevitable that capitalism cannot keep manufacturing going and that therefore the working class must pay with its jobs and livelihoods.
‘Workers must mobilise to demand that their leaders reverse this shameful capitulation and make way for a leadership that will use the industrial muscle of the unions to demand the government nationalise GM.’
