LONDON STRIKE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29502, 2 May 1961, Page 13

LONDON STRIKE

Dockers Not Settled (N.Z Press Assn—Copyright) LONDON. May 1. Two mass meetings of dockers yesterday failed to produce a definite move to settle the unofficial London dock strike. Union leaders and members of the dock labour board were saying last night that the strike—now in its second week with 13.500 men and 70 ships idle—had probably reached its peak, the "Daily Mirror’* reported. From today they expected growing pressure from the docks for a return to work. The strike had almost paralysed the Port of London. At a 3000-strong meeting at Tow’er Hill yesterday, the strikers promised to return to their jobs if work at a private wharf where the strike started was suspended pending an inquiry. They were protesting that the Dock Labour Board allowed an employer to use six “listed” or part-time men to unload a barge because the registered gangs of dockers were alleged to have been slacking. The national docks’ secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union (Mr T. O’Geary) was booed at another meeting when he said the Government might, bring troops in. According to the “Daily Express,” Ministry of Transport sources dismissed such speculation as “utterly premature.”

Firms at the Smithfield and Covent Garden markets have set up a joint council to discuss ways of getting their cargoes out of the docks. A Dutch air charter company is standing bj’ to start a meat airlift from Rotterdam.

Under-Secretary’s Tour.— Sir Saville Garner, who is on an orientation tour of Commonwealth countries before taksng up his new position as permanent Under-Secre-tary of State in the British Commonwealth Relations office, arrived in Sydney by air today. He will spend two weeks in Australia before leaving for New Zealand where he will spend seven days.