Link to this page: https://secure.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1031/28753
From The Socialist newspaper, 27 February 2019
From anger to action to save Honda plant
Roger Thomas, Socialist Party South West
On 19 February, Honda announced it would be stopping production of the Honda Civic along with plans for the complete closure of the Swindon plant by 2021, with the loss of 3,500 jobs.
Workers expressed horror and shock at the announcement. These plans will have a devastating effect on the local economy - not just in the plant itself but also in the scores of local firms that supply and service it from the surrounding area. Up to 12,000 jobs could be affected in a town of 180,000.
This announcement was not even made directly to the workforce but instead delivered via the media. This shows Honda's contempt for its own employees. One group of workers even learned the news from their sick colleague - who saw it on TV and phoned his workmates to see if they had heard anything.
One worker compared the likely effect of the plan to the devastating impact of the railworks closure in the 1980s. Another pondered what would replace well-paid jobs in a local economy of warehouses rather than manufacturing.
The company also confirmed that it will close a plant in Turkey, moving all of its European production to a factory in Japan. They put this move down to changes in the global economy, the recent signing of a trade deal between the EU and Japan, and the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Much of the anger of workers was focused on pro-capitalist politicians who seem unable to resolve the climate of confusion and inertia which emanates from Westminster.
The Honda shop stewards have a proud record of defending their members. They have worked hard to build up union organisation at the plant and have been big supporters of the National Shop Stewards Network.
In 2011, Unite convenor Paddy Brennan won his reinstatement after being suspended by management. Plans are being put in place for a demonstration in Swindon to defend the plant.
The response of the labour movement in Swindon must be firm. Yes, negotiations should take place to try and secure the plant. But a determined campaign to mobilise the workforce and community is vital. This should start with a demonstration through the town - led by the shop stewards and calling for the nationalisation of the plant by an incoming Jeremy Corbyn government.
Indeed, Corbyn must give his complete and immediate support to the workforce in their fight to defend these jobs - placing as much pressure as possible on the government.
Any town-wide demonstration could be as big as the one that took place to defend the Longbridge plant in Birmingham when it was threatened with closure.
Unite the Union needs to put its national resources behind this fight, linking with the local shop stewards and mobilising the entire community and labour movement to defend these jobs and to keep car manufacturing in Swindon.
This could act as a national mobilisation for all workers who face closures or large-scale redundancies, such as at Ford Bridgend and Airbus in north Wales.
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In The Socialist 27 February 2019:
What we think
From anger to action to save Honda plant
Socialist Party feature
Defending the city that dared to fight
Council cuts
Kirklees: Labour and Green councillors refuse to fight the cuts
Leicester: cuts passed in record time - use the £100m reserves!
Worcestershire: save the nine libraries
Socialist Party news and analysis
Kick out austerity politicians
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Blairite traitor Ian Austin - byelection now!
Cuts councils massage homelessness figures
US: "Launch a mass, working-class fightback"
Workplace news and analysis
Supermarket giants merger: protect jobs and fight price hikes
Birmingham Bin workers and home carers strike on same day
University and College Union: anti-union laws frustrate strike ballot again
Manchester posties strike against bullying
PCS union: help us win the elections and pay campaign
South East Unison annual general meeting votes for no-cuts budgets
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
E-subscribe to the Socialist today!
Tommy Robinson BBC demo: socialist fightback needed to undermine far right
Nottingham Labour Corbyn rally
PCS union branch opposes cuts to women's services
International Women's Day meetings and other events
Five years on - and still no justice for Zane
Opinion
Non-fiction: 'Unhealthy Profits: PFI in the NHS'
Art exhibition: 'Unobtania' by Peter Robson
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