The News Line: News
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
GM mass meeting demand
WORKERS are resuming work at GM Luton today none the wiser as to what Business Secretary Mandelson told their shop stewards when he met them on Friday morning.
Many workers are demanding that there must be a mass meeting of workers to hear a report on what was said and plan the defence of the plant and all of its jobs.
Former Vauxhall Luton convenor Arthur Lynn said yesterday: ‘Workers need a mass meeting, at least to report back on what Mandelson said, as the convenors are claiming something “positive” came out of the meeting.
‘GM in Europe made a statement today that they could file for bankruptcy.
‘This puts the Luton plant under threat.
‘So workers urgently need a mass meeting to decide on action to defend jobs.’
GM Luton worker Bernard said: ‘There’s going to be a trip to Westminster on Wednesday by a group of stewards to lobby MPs.
‘The stewards are calling for government support, for money, but a lot of people want the company nationalised.
‘There’s a lot of support in the town to keep the plant open.
‘They are saying if the plant closes, 15,000 jobs will go in Luton and the surrounding area, not just the 1,600 at the factory.
‘There must be a mass meeting to decide on action to save our jobs.
‘Coaches should be booked for Wednesday so that we can all go down to London to lobby the MPs to nationalise the plant.’
ATUA secretary Dave Wiltshire said ‘The Unite leaders have promised a campaign. Members must demand a mass meeting be called now to decide on occupation to stop any closure.
‘And the whole membership must be mobilised, along with the rest of the trade union movement, to bring down this government and replace it with one pledged to nationalise these bankrupt industries under workers control.’
GM Luton Unite shop stewards are organising a token lobby of parliament on Wednesday in the wake of last Friday’s ‘no guarantees’ visit by Business Secretary Mandelson.
What is required is a mass meeting today, and a booking of coaches so that all the workers can go down to parliament on Wednesday to demand that the plant be nationalised.
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