The announcement of a pay freeze, 850 job cuts in Britain and 900 in the rest of Europe, which the Ford Europe boss Fleming made last week is a provocation against all of us.

In fact, as soon as this news reached the Press shop, there was an immediate stoppage, which lasted 4 hours. This was followed by meetings in work time on every shift in stamping and subassembly. How dare Ford, de facto, impose a wage cut and all these further job cuts?

What with the enormous profits Ford has piled up out of our labour, with the huge assets it has all over the world, it wants us to believe that all of a sudden, it is so hard up that it cannot keep all of us in our jobs, with a long overdue pay rise?

Fleming complains that things have changed since they offered us 5.25% (only equal to official inflation at the time!) 3 months ago! Really? As if Ford doesn't have hundreds of staff monitoring car sales! Hadn't they already decided to cut 300 jobs promised as "new" job-creation for the Tiger engine on the pretext of the fall in the market?

A cynical manoeuvre

But in fact there is, indeed, a difference between then and now. There is a "carrot", which is now on offer to the car companies. Because unlike the rest of us, Ford bosses can call on the state for help. In Britain they already have credit guarantees waiting, thanks to Brown. But they have a much bigger package coming to them in the US. Only, to get their share of that particular bounty they have to prove that they are "cutting costs". Obama knew what he was doing when he demanded that the car bosses should make this demonstration. He did not have to tell them twice. Offering the carrot of state money in return for a cut in their wage bills, worked wonders. All the car giants are now busy doing just that!

Does it mean that Ford bosses have to cut jobs and wages? Of course not! The governments will give them what they want, anyway. But since Ford now has a "good" pretext to attack our pay and conditions and get rid of workers - and get praise for it and subsidies into the bargain, they would not miss such an opportunity, would they?

It is all the more outrageous that Ford has just clocked up £1.06 billion in profits, and gained a huge advantage due to the lower value of the pound. But for years Ford has squeezed conditions and manning levels in order to make the same profits from much reduced sales and minimal investment. This was the purpose of "just-in-time" and all the out-sourcing-cum-sub-contracting saga. Only, of course, Ford didn't really need to do that, because sales were high. As a result, its real profits - including all the cash which got redistributed to shareholders and directors - went through the roof. And now Ford would like to keep the same level of profits despite the slump in sales, by turning the screw on us. There lies the crux of the matter.

They test the water? let's make it hot!

However, let us make no mistake. That Ford top bosses have opted to talk "tough" for the occasion does not mean that they have forgotten that their dirty tricks can always backfire and that they are not worried about it.

In fact, the odds are that their U-turn on the pay deal is a way of testing the water. They need to know what they can get away with. This was an opportunity for them to find out. Which is why it is vital that Ford should find the water as hot as we can possibly make it! Because whatever move they make concerning the future of our jobs and wages, will depend on how much they fear our reactions!

If we make them burn their fingers, that will be the best guarantee that they will pull back from their cuts, today - but also tomorrow.

So they should find us in their way, opposing the job cuts at Southampton, Dunton, and the "6 other sites" they spoke about. After all we can guess what would follow if they can get away with this: the Press shop which makes Transit panels, the Puma which makes Transit engines... etc.,? Saying no way today, is our best guarantee to preserve our jobs into the future! In fact there is no other way.

And it is not because of the down days, lay-offs, etc.. that we should feel that somehow we are in a worse position to take them on. The Dagenham estate is ours. It is our work which has made it what it is and which keeps it alive all year round. They want to keep us out? They should find us inside, instead, using it for what it can be used - our collective headquarters - to turn the heat on them and their attacks against our wages, jobs, and our conditions!