BL bid to smash the union
Socialist Viewpoint1980sTranscribed by hand from the printed page.
AUSTIN Rover management have carried out another victimisation of a leading trade union activist. They sacked Bob Cullen, an elected deputy senior shop steward in the Cowley Assembly Plant in November for allegedly damaging the windscreen wiper of a foreman's car on a picket line on the gates of the plant. The public statement, which we reprint here, shows conclusively that he was framed by management.
Since the shop stewards movement was weakened in BL by workers participation in the mid 1970s, and then attacked continuously under Michael Edwardes in the late 1970s and early 1980s, BL have conducted a policy of victimising stewards.
Derek Robinson was victimised in 1979; a group of stewards in Longbridge in November 1981. Alan Thornett was sacked in November 1982, and now Bob Cullen in November 1984.
There is a reason why stewards are sacked in November. BL's wage review is on November 1. Given time it gets sold out. After that there is a period of demoralisation which comes just before Christmas: the perfect conditions for sacking.
This time it was even more opportune. There was a strike for two weeks which collapsed when 8 of the 9 unions in ARG complied with the law over balloting and dimmed the strike. The workforce was deeply demoralised particularly in the main plants which supported the strike.
This encouraged Austin Rover to go even further. Previously they sacked for trivial "offences" which would not normally be the subject of discipline — as with Derek Robinson and Alan Thornett. This time they framed Bob Cullen and sacked him for a minor incident which happened when he was not even there.
Bob Cullen has now been sacked for 3 months. He is a member of the TGWU, and his case has been the subject of a national conference after his appeal was rejected.
As we go to press, Ron Todd is to meet Harold Musgrave on the sacking shortly, and if Bob Cullen is not reinstated the matter will be put to a meeting in the plant.
"I WAS FRAMED!"
Statement by sacked Cowley deputy convenor Bob Cullen, printed alongside the article above.
I HAVE just been sacked after 15 years at BL's Cowley Assembly Plant having been a shop steward for many years and last year was elected as a deputy senior shop steward by ballot vote of the workforce. I have been sacked by Austin Rover management, accused of something which happened when I was not even there. This is apparently the level to which Austin Rover management is now prepared to sink in order to victimise active trade unionists and break the unions.
I am accused of bending the windscreen wiper arm of a foreman's private car outside the gate, on one of the Sunday morning pickets on the overtime ban prior to the pay strike. The incident took place on gate 16 of the plant, yet, as is well known, I was picketing on gate 10 that morning for the whole of the time.
It is a classic case of mistaken identity. The incident took place in the early morning when it was still dark. It was pouring with rain. Derek Jones, the foreman concerned, has only one eye. He did not know me at the time, and as a result has mistaken me for someone else who looks physically similar.
Derek Jones is the only witness against me. He made a written complaint after being interviewed by management. It is purely on the basis of this statement that I have been sacked.
Management have no other witnesses (they first said they had another witness and then withdrew him). I have twelve witnesses who have given written statements to the effect that I was never on gate 16 that morning but on gate 10, including the works security man on gate 10 who has said that he was standing talking to me for most of the period of the picket.
None of the security men on gate 16 can remember seeing me there. There are also two witnesses who have given written statements naming the person who was actually responsible for the incident. Management have interviewed them and are fully aware of the strength of their evidence.
This is not to say that the person who was responsible should be disciplined in any way or has contravened works rules. The incident took place outside the plant and therefore outside of management jurisdiction. If Derek Jones had a complaint to make about damage to his car his obvious redress was to the law. Particularly since there were two uniformed civil police on gate 16 that morning, yet he chose not to report it to them. (He also chose not to report it to three works security guards on gate 16 that morning — who have no recollection of the incident having happened).
I find it inconceivable that someone could have their car damaged right next to two policemen and not report it to them. I find it even more inexplicable that he should go to management at a later date and identify me as the person responsible when I was not even there!
Why didn't management report it to the police themselves? The union has urged them to take the issue to court and they will accept the outcome but they have refused to do so. They were quick to take the unions to court over the pay strike! It can only be because they have no case to present.
I am sacked and they intend that I stay sacked. They are hoping that there will be no strike over this and therefore not too much publicity. Then they won't have need to justify my sacking. Their obsession is to end any effective trade unionism witin the Cowley Assembly Plant, and to prevent any challenge to the dictatorial conditions they have imposed inside their factories.
My sacking is something new. Previously they have sacked active shop stewards for "minor offences" which would not normally have been the subject of discipline (in Derek Robinson's case, for example, for putting his opinions in a TU publication, in Alan Thornett's case for a lapsed driving licence).
Although they are accusing me of a minor offence the fact is that I have been framed. Management must know this is a case of mistaken identity but they are prepared to use it to sack me, because it suits their ends.
My case is not yet finalised — although I am off the payroll. Because the case is so outrageous the union have refused to accept it at the end of the disciplinary procedure and are calling, immediately after the Christmas holiday, for the intervention of the General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union.
After that it will go back to the membership in the plant, particularly the trim shop, who I am confident will not allow this outrageous frame-up to go past.
Bob Cullen