Danish Farmers’ Strike Settled

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 15

Danish Farmers’ Strike Settled

( N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

COPENHAGEN, May 10.

The two-day Danish farmers’ strike—involving a “food blockade” which threatened to hit British bacon and butter consumers —was settled early today after 10 hours’ constant negotiation.

It was announced that the Prime Minister, Mr Viggo Kampmann, had reached a compromise settlement with farmers’ leaders. Under it, farmers will get about 460 m kroner (more than £24m) in tax relief and other Government compensation to cover higher costs, as ooposed to a Government offer of 300 m kroner (about £l6m).

British consumers would have had to go without Danish bacon if the strike had continued into next week.

Danish > butter supplies would also have dried up, it was announced yesterday. The expected ending early next week of the month-long strike by 40,000 Danish dockers, seamen and transport workers should also heln restore the free flow of Danish food exports. The farmers’ “blockade” stopped livestock meat and milk exports which had been kept moving in spite of the transport strike. It cut off milk supplies to most of Denmark yesterday, and put up the price of meat by 50 per cent.

A farmers’ “compensation committee” meets this morning to reach a final decision on the offer of 460 m kroner. Formal official acceptance

of the compromise is expected to come from both farmers and the Government today, so that milk deliveries can start again tomorrow. After the over-night bargaining session Mr Kampmann sa«d he hoped all the farming conflicts, including strikes by 11.000 slaughterhouse and 5000 farm workers, could now end.