London Dock Strike May End Soon

Press, Volume C, Issue 29504, 4 May 1961, Page 15

London Dock Strike May End Soon

(h.x. Pres* association—C'ODyngnti

LONDON, May 3. The London dock strike, involving nearly 15,000 men, may be called off today, newspapers reported. A mass meeting will be held this afternoon and the indications are that the strike leaders will come down on the side of peace, said the “Dailv Mirror” 'and the “Daily Sketch.”

More than 70 ships are held up by the strike and merchants have threatened to send in fleets of lorries to collect the thousands of tons of fruit and vegetables in danger of rotting in warehouses. If the strike continued, fruit and vegetable prices in London would double in a few days, the “Daily Mail” reported. This warning was given to the Minister of Labour (Mr J. Hare* by members of the London Chamber of Commerce Already the price of tomatoes had doubled and meat was dearer. Potatoes, carrots. oranges and apples would soon cost double and the increases would hit most of Britain. The dockers were asked yesterday by a Labour member of Parliament <Mr R. Mellish* to end the strike. He warned traders not to take the law into their own hands and try to force lorries into the docks to collect goods in danger of rotting. The strike committee met for two and a half hours yesterdav, but announced that it had reached no decision about a return to work. Mr Hare said the Government would not intervene for at least 4S hour*. He hoped by that time the

strikers would respond to his appeal to return to work. The unofficial strike leader. Mr Jack Dash, said it was hoped to epnfine the stoppage to London, but unless an inquiry were held into the hiring of part-time labour, they would have to consider other ports as well. At Tilbury, tally clerks refused to handle a consignment of periodicals to be loaded on the liner Himalaya for Australia, claiming that it had been transferred from the strike-bound London docks. According to the Ministry of Food, supplies of all major foodstuffs were unaffected by the strike and there should be no question of any widespread increases in price. With a few exceptions, said the Ministry, stocks of the principal fruits and vegetables were adequate and would remain so unless the dispute was prolonged. Argentine and Danish meat importers also said that “verylittle*’ of their produce was in danger and present stocks were sufficient The crux of the dispute remains the union's contention that the men should rAurr to work before an inquire is held, and the strikers’ insistence that it be called before thev return. The strikers demand an inquiry into the hiring of part-time men at a small private wharf at Wapping.