WAGES IN BRITAIN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 211, 22 June 1950, Page 5

WAGES IN BRITAIN

Variation in Policy LONDON, June 21. , When the Council of the British Trades Union Congress meets on June 28 it will Receive recommendations from its special economic committee for a variation in wages policy that will allow some relaxation to cover tlie claims of lower-paid workers.

These recommendations will be circulated to the 190 affiliated unions on which’ will fall the responsibility of determining which claims cover this class. It is expected that the unions will be advised that while some claims will be admissible under the new policy, restraint in demands for general increases must continue. For some time there has been increasing pressure from the rank and file of affiliated unions for far-reach-ing modifications of the “wage freeze,” and it has been realised for some time that certain concessions would have to be made.

It is stated that union leaders, after 'withstanding this pressure for some time, are now expecting something from the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Stafford Cripps). Whether the modified policy of the T.U.C. will be generally acceptable remains to be seen. Mr Jack Tanner, president of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, who is also a member of the general council, recently gave a clear indication that his union would oppose any policy designed to grant increases only to the lower-paid. Two major claims -already under discussion will presumably be covered. One is the demand of the National Union of Railwaymen for increases for about 170,000 lowerrpaid workers. The other will be presented officially to the National Coal Board to-day by the National Union of Mineworkers, which is seeking an increase of 2s Gd a shift for 400,000 lower-paid workers.