TRADES UNION POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26629, 27 November 1947, Page 5

TRADES UNION POLICY

RATIONING AND WAGES SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT REQUESTED N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent Rec. 9 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 26. An important discussion on a rationing and wages policy is expected when the General Council of the T.U.C. meets to-day to receive a report of its Special Economic Committee. During the past fortnight members of the committee have met Mr Attlee, Sir Stafford Cripps, and several other Ministers who are reported to have impressed upon them the necessity for further T.U.C. action to back up the Government’s policy. The full effects of the recent dollar savings and food cuts have not yet made themselves felt as the majority of food supplies are on contracts which are only now beginning to expire. Within the next six weeks, however, increasing shortages may revive the demands for differential rationing to assist Workers in heavy industries. The T.U.C. has so far opposed differential rationing other than through workers’ canteens and will be faced by 1 a difficult problem if various grades of workers begin to demand preferential treatment. The T.U.C. is also in a dilemma over wage claims. The Government has urged that an agreed policy to control wages should be reached as soon as possible, but many of the influential unions and their leaders oppose any interference with their rights to bargain. This view is strongly expressed by Mr Tom Williamson, secretary of the Municipal and General Workers’ Union in the current issue of his union's journal. In this he points out that during, the war unions were trusted by the Government to use the voluntary machinery of wage negotiation with prudence and restraint and did so. He urges that there should be no departure from this principle now.