ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that in the motor industry at least there are in effect two separate forms of workers’ organization which, interact in many ways which involve co-operation rather than friction—must nevertheless be sharply distinguished. Several of the great personalities in the new industry were strongly anti-union. One outstanding characteristic of labour organization in the motor industry is thus multiple unionism. The management of the normal federated car plant rarely has to deal with more than half-a-dozen unions—and representation on what have become key instruments of workplace labour relations, the Works Committees of senior shop stewards, is heavily concentrated in the hands of the major unions. The complexity—almost formality—of shop steward organization seems little appreciated. Most ordinary stewards represent only the members of their own union. The trade unions proper saw in the activities an attempt by left-wing militants to organize the motor industry’s stewards behind an alternative leadership.
