London Papers May Resume Publication Today

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 13

London Papers May Resume Publication Today

( (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) > LONDON, April 20. The leaders of the 700 newspaper strikers who have halted Fleet Street’s presses for 27 days agreed on terms for a settlement of their dispute with the proprietors last night. But a mass meeting called for today to put the “back to work” terms to the strikers is expected to be an angry affair. The strikers late last night were already criticising the union leaders’ decision to call them back on the job. The strikers were expecting a substantial rise before consenting to return to work. But their leaders accepted a rise of 12s a week—about a fifth of the £2 18s 6d the strikers were demanding.

The settlement of the dispute was announced last night after eight hours of talks. No date for a return to work was fixed, but the unions said they hoped to get their men back to produce Thursday morning’e papers. A statement after the talks said: “There shall be a resumption of work on the basis that the offer made by the N.P.A. is accepted by all the unions as an agreed settlement pending further negotiations. “These negotiations shall begin not latbr than eight weeks from the date of resumption of work and the new agreement shall operate from the date of expiry of the eight weeks, subject to completion within three months. “There shall be no discrimination or victimisation by either side.” The strike has cost the newspapers more than £2,000,000, and has thrown but of work more than 20,000 employees. 'Hie “Manchester Guardian” today welcomed the news that the London newspaper strike is on the way to being settled and that Publication may resume on Thursday. It said there had been few disputes so intractable and so hard to settle by conventional meags. “Trie settlement really opens up the whole of newspaper printin’* wages, but gives time for a careful review and the framing of well thought out differentials. There is a chance to improve the wage structure and future negotiation machinery.”