NATIONALISATION IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27710, 14 July 1955, Page 13

NATIONALISATION IN BRITAIN

Biggest Union Rejects Proposals

(Rec. 10 p.m.) BLACKPOOL, July 13. The annual conference of Britain’s biggest trade union today rejected resolutions which demanded the nationalisation of several more industries in Britain.

Demands for the nationalisation of the docks, the engineering industry, flour milling, sugar refining and the assets of the British Tea Association came before the conference of the 1,300,000-strong Transport and General Workers’ Union.

But the union’s general secretary (Mr A. E. Tiffin) asked the conference to reject the principle of nationalisation beyond those industries outlined in the official policy of the Labour Party.

In the May 26 General Election, Labour called for the renationalisation. of road transport and the steel industry, and the nationalisation of the chemical industry and some sections of the machine tool industry. Mr Tiffin said: “I am asking you not to go on record as wanting to nationalise everything and anything without carefully thinking out all the implications.”

There was some opposition to Mr Tiffin’s statement, but by a show of hands his appeal was accepted by a large majority and seven resolutions demanding further nationalisation were not put to the conference.