Lucas Plan: New Trade Unionism in the Making

by Hilary Wainwright, Dave Elliott

Long out of print, this book tells the detailed story of the Lucas workers determination to defend their jobs, how they came up with a plan to convert from largely military production to the development of socially useful products. The workforce had the skills and the will to make the plan work; management, ever sceptical, retrenched; government obstructed; even the official trade union response was unhelpful. This is a riveting political story and with timely lessons for all those concerned with arms conversion, climate change, alternative models of work and the need to move to an era of socially useful production. This new edition features Hilary Wainwright s thoughts after 40 years.

Hardcover

Reviews

[MR-2086 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilary Wainwright meticulously details one of the most important moments in working class (and union) history. This book—the book on The Lucas Plan—should be getting a lot more attention than it does these days. The Lucas Plan couldn't be more important to unions facing the need to redesign industrial production today.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed and insightful account of the organising around the Lucas Plan and the 'Combine Committee' behind those efforts, and one that was not afraid to be critical at points. Loads of juicy stats for nerds who enjoy that stuff, although at points this could make it slightly dry.