Greater Manchester & District CND is working with colleagues from the trade unions and environmental movement on an event to explore the ideas behind the Lucas Plan and their application today.
The Plan
Today the world is facing multiple political, economic and environmental crises, but our political system seems to have no answer beyond business as usual. The idea of a ‘New Lucas Plan’ as one possible way forward came from a conference on the 40th anniversary of the Lucas Plan. The Lucas Plan of the 1970s was a celebrated attempt by workers at the arms related company, Lucas Aerospace, to develop a plan for conversion of the company to the production of socially useful products. Facing the threat of unemployment caused by new technology and recession, the workers collected 150 ideas from the shop floor for alternative, socially useful products that could be produced using their skills and technology.
The idea for a ‘New Lucas Plan’ is to develop plans for a new and democratically controlled economy, based on the Lucas Aerospace workers’ idea of socially useful production. One aim of the event will be to catalyse the creation of new links between different movements, with the possible aim of developing a New Lucas Plan for the Manchester area.
The Programme
The programme will include a screening of a 30-minute version of THE PLAN, the new documentary on the Lucas Plan, and a talk by a member of the Lucas Aerospace shop stewards combine.
There will be workshops on the themes of arms conversion / defence diversification, just transition / climate jobs, the threat of automation, and People’s Plans for local economies.
Sponsored by New Lucas Plan, Greater Manchester Association of TUCs, Manchester CND, the Co-operative College and Steady State Manchester.
The event will be free, with donations to cover room hire costs.
For more information contact 0161 273 8283 or email gmdcnd@gn.apc.org
22A Beswick Street
Manchester
M4 7HR