CND targets in on VIANNW contract
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:ONFRONTATION between MAN-VW and the Campaign for lear Disarmament has arisen over the transport of Cruise siles.
ND has alleged that the NI-VW West German plant a contract with the United es Government to supply 10 tractive units for the Govrent and the USA army. A I of 400 units will be used ctly for hauling trailers carryCruise missiles.
rhe company has been buildvehicles for military pures for some time," a CND kesman told CM. This precontract has been running about two years and will run ;.everal more."
ND is trying to stop the corny from supplying further icles. To this end it will be ructing its regional groups to action against the 35 MANdealers in the UK. The action not been specified and has n left for the regional groups organise themselves. The
CND spokesman said that picketing of premises could be a possible approach to the matter.
MAN-VW (UK) denied any connection with missile transporters. A spokesman said: "Volkswagen does not produce vehicles large enough for the purpose and is not involved in any way. Neither is it true that MAN produces missile transporters."
The West German MAN-VW company has a contract to supply off-road vehicles to the West German Army for many applications, the spokesman said. And 400 tractive units are being supplied to the USA Army.
The spokesman said the company was delighted that Nato had selected MAN vehicles, but added that the purpose to which the vehicles were put was a matter for the Army or the Government.
MAN in Britain is a British company importing MAN lorries and buses, he said. "It has not supplied any military vehicles and will not even be involved with the day-to-day maintenance of military vehicles in this country.
"We believe CND to be misguided and wrong in picking on a vehicle manufacturer as a means of airing their protests," he said. The CND campaign is not aimed solely at MAN. The Tarmac construction company has received visits from CND and a representative from the Transport and General Workers' Union West Midlands Region in connection with this subject.
Nuclear free zone counties are being persuaded not to let out tenders to Tarmac, and it says Suffolk and Dumbarton councils have agreed to this.
The TGWU West Midlands office was unable to comment on its talks with Tarmac, although the whole subject of nuclear arms and the support of CND is due to be discussed at the TGWU summer conference at the Isle of Man in June.