UNIONS DISAPPOINTED

Chronicle (Levin), 7 August 1948, Page 5

UNIONS DISAPPOINTED

(N.Z.P.A.—

Reuter*

1 fflove Against Cripps' Wage Pegging Policy

Capyrigfit )

Received FrMay,. 8,5.0; p.m. . LONDON, August 6. j Growing dissatist'action among trades , unions with the Government 's effort to* eheck nsing prices is indicated by tlie nuniber of remits deal-ing- with tliisquestion wliich are to be ffiibmitted to the eighteenth annual conferenee of the .Trades Union Congress at Margate commencing 011 Septenrber 6. The T.'U.O. 's promise to support the .Government 's policy of restraining further wage increases was eonditional upon the Government checking the continuous upward trend of pri'cea eitlier by restricting profits or any other practical means. It is obvious from the tenor of many of ine remits for the Margate Conferenee that a numbea- of. influential unirns are dissatisfel with what has lieen done and are ready to urge that the Congress should withd-raw tlie backing it has so f'ar given to Sir •> alford Cripps 's-wages policy. Two of the most powerful industrial unions, the Electricnl Trades Union and the Anialgamated Engineering Union. have both tabled resolutions' submitting that the Government policy has failed. Tlie El'ectrical Trades Union goes 'further and asserts that "the present levei of wages is iiisufficient to ensure a reasonable standard of living. " The Engineeriiig Union recoinmeiids that the Government should immediately take more delinite steps to "restriet prol'+s ard controi prices. Several other Unions recoiiimend' the se'aling dciwn or removal of the purchase tax or other detailed steps to reduce retaii prices. The National Union of Vehicle Makers, ' after advoeating that the T.U.C. withdraw its support of the Governinent's wage freezing policy, reniarks that instead of the cost of living being reduced "the trend is 'all the other way. " These remits will all be debated after the T.U.C. General Council has submitted a special report to the conferenee upon the wage demands and cost of living. The sp'ecial eommittee of the Council has been gathering data on this subject for some time and its reeommen lations will have an important effec-t upon the attitude- taken by the Congress. If the eommittee baeks up the- union '1 demands for a ehange ot policy both tlie general council and the Govei nuient will face a very awlcward predicainent. Anothe.r trend uotieeable among the remits for Margate is the increasing restiveness of unions ab.out the share of controi they are being given in nationali'sed industries. This year's conferenee will .be asked to discuss more than a dozen resolutions from influentiai unions demanding a la'rger share in the

management of Htate-owned organisa- , tions. Among the unions whieh liave submitted remits along these lines are the National Union of Mineworkers and the National Unien of Iiailwaymen. The Mineworkers' Union by submittipg (his remit has c^ianged its policy. As recentlv as the Labour Party Con-feren-e last May its representatives dafcnded the present administration of nationalised industries, but now the union advocates a complete overliau] and ' ' radical changes in. the adrainistrative niachinery at all levels." Another batcli of critieal resolutions uiges that nationalisation s.hould be extended without further delay to Ihe iron and steel' trade, brewing and tlie tobacco trade. Five Conimunists head ed by the secretary of the Nationa' Union of Mineworkers (Mr. Arthur Llorner) and Mr. A. F. Papworth^ wh^is already a member of the genera.' council of the T.U.C., will this year seek election to the council. VS/S/WWWV^^VWW> A^WWWVWV\A^W