BY MARTIN HILL
LUTON, England - Some 1,200 auto workers at IBC Vehicles here have accepted concessions equivalent to a wage cut of around 15 percent. The company, mainly owned by General Motors, proposed April 16 that workers' contract of employment be amended to suspend a clause that guarantees basic pay if workers are sent home for lack of work. They proposed to schedule 11 non-production weeks between now and December 1998. In these weeks, employees would be sent home with no pay from the company, although they would receive 73 (1=$1.62) a week in state benefit pay. This would mean a loss of between 3,000 and 4,000 in wages for most workers over this period.

The company stated that if this proposal was rejected, they would instead switch to single shift working. Such a change would mean workers losing their shift premium, which is 15 percent of total wages, and could be implemented without a change in contract. A ballot was held April 22, and the company proposal was accepted by 698 votes to 414. Most of the "No" votes came from members of the Transport & General Workers Union, which represents most production line workers.

Many workers felt that they had to choose "the lesser evil" between single shift working and the company proposal. Others, however, thought that a "Yes" vote meant the company would push for more concessions in the future. "Now we'll still be working shifts, but we won't be paid for it," commented chassis line worker Bob Snoxall. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," he added, predicting further attacks from the company.

Martin Hill is a member of the Transport & General Workers Union 1/1935 branch at IBC Vehicles in Luton.  
 
 
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