WAGE CLAIMS IN BRITAIN

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27913, 9 March 1956, Page 9

WAGE CLAIMS IN BRITAIN

MIXED RECEPTION GIVEN MORE CAR WORKERS ON SHORT TIME (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, March 7. Pay claims for nearly 2,000.000 workers suffered mixed fates today, and the chain reaction of short-time working in the car industry moved one stage further. The outcome of today’s wage bargaining was: Shipyard Workers.— The Union leaders accepted a weekly rise averaging 11s, parallel to that awarded to the engineers last week. The 250,000 shipyard men will now have basic rates ranging from £7 2s 6d to £8 10s 6d a week. Builders.— Delegates representing 1.000,000 men reached a deadlock with the employers after two meetings, but agreed to send their claim to arbitration. They seek a rise of 6d an hour and have rejected an offer of 2d. Farm Workers.— The Agricultural Wages Board rejected a claim for a “substantial increase’’ by 600,000 farm workers. Six weeks ago they won a weekly rise of Bs, bringing their basic wage to £6 15s a week, but were dissatisfied with the award. Meanwhile Rover Motors have put 2000 of their 9000 Birmingham employees on short time today, bringing the total of car workers suffering cutbacks to more than 17,000. Short-time working—usually a fourday week—has already thinned the pay packets of about 7000 Austin car workers, 6000 at the Rootes Group (Hillman. Humber, Sunbeam-Talbot) and 1250 Standard car men. The 85,000-strong Engineers’ Union, which has members in all Britain’s car plants, today urged the Opposition and the Trades Union Congress, the parent body of 9.000.000 unionists, to oppose the Eden Government’s financial policy, which it blames for the recession. The Prime Minister (Sir Anthony Eden) is to meet the employers’ representatives for a “general” talk tomorrow. He met the union chiefs last Monday. It is expected that the cutbacks in the motor industry will be discussed.