T.U.C. BID TO END STRIKE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 11

T.U.C. BID TO END STRIKE

tNZPA. Reuter—Copyright?

LONDON, June 9.

Britain's powerful Trade Union Council today steps in with a bid to end the 24-day-old seamen’s strike after a complete failure by all sides—including the (lovernment—to reach a solution.

Leaders of the T.U.C. have summoned the National Union of the seamen’s 48 - man executive to an emergency meeting today. The summons came last night after the Minister of Labour, Mr Ray Gunter, and the T.U.C. acting general secretary, Mr Victor Feather, met to work out t>lans for a new appeal to end the strike.

Mr Gunter failed last night in an urgent appeal to the seamen to end the strike after they had rejected a compromise plan for settlement. The proposal was made by a Government-appointed Court of Inquiry and amounted to a pay increase of 9) per cent over two years. The Prime Minister, Mr Harold Wilson, has made clear that his Government will resist any settlement that erodes the principle of pay rises being kept down to around 3j per cent a year. The general secretary of the Union, Mr William Hogarth, told reporters that his men were determined to fight to the end. Economic Effect

The strike has already weakened sterling. Last night the £ stood at 2.789 dollars. Sources close to Mr Wilson admitted the seamen’s strike threatened harm to the nation’s imports and exports. But, they said, the Prime Minister judged far greater damage

The Seamen’s Union decided on Tuesday night to seek world-wide help to tie up all British ships abroad.

would be done by a settlement that would open the way to further spiralling wage demands from other big unions. Observers said the union now was expected to press on with plans to spread the stoppage to British ships throughout the world and also involve some foreign ships calling at British ports.

The Government now will give fresh emphasis to protecting the nation's supplies of food, fuel and raw materials and might soon take the first action under special emergency powers already authorised. The union announced its decision even before meeting the Labour Minister, Mr Ray Gunter, to discuss the inquiry’s findings. Mr Gunter later reported to Mr Wilson, who has called a Cabinet meeting today.

The union resolution said the report by the Court of Inquiry “has not taken into consideration our employer s hidden profits nor the belownormal conditions under which our members work.” After 24 days of the strike, more than 700 British ships are idle in the nation’s ports —more than a quarter of the 2500,-strong merchant fleet.

It also asked British dockers to refuse to handle foreign oil tankers bringing in supplies normally carried in British ships, and foreign vessels engaged in coastal trade around Britain. This would mean that some food ships for Britain would be unable to sail, many oil tankers would be unable to discharge their cargoes, and British exports would be further curbed.

Observers said It was possible for the Trades Ufflnn Council to tell these transport unions to ignore the seamen’s appeal. Without this support the strike would fail, they said. An Agriculture Ministry spokesman said yesterday that fruit and fish importers had been asked to declare their stocks to the Ministry to help build up a picture of the country’s supplies.