BID FOR STRIKE SETTLEMENT

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28231, 20 March 1957, Page 13

BID FOR STRIKE SETTLEMENT

Conciliation Move In Britain

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, March 19. Union leaders representing three million British workers striking or awaiting final orders to stop work will meet Ministry of Labour conciliators today in a Government bid to restore industrial peace in Britain.

Leaders of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions have been invited to have talks with Sir Wilfred Neden, the Ministry’s chief industrial commissioner, and other arbitrators. The confederation spokesmen will visit the Ministry a few hours before they are due to decide upon the form of a strike due to start at the week-end and involving nearly three million engineering workers.

The confederation has decided to launch an engineering strike in support of a ten per cent wage claim, but it has not decided whether it should be a general stoppage or a series of “guerrilla’* strikes at key points. About 200,000 shipyard workers in the confederation have been on strike since noon on Saturday to force acceptance by the employers of a similar wage demand.

The Ministry of Labour conciliators are expected to concentrate on trying to avert the engineering strike, as the shipyard dispute appears* to be completely deadlocked. The leaders of the shipyard workers have already rejected arbitration and demanded instead fresh talks with the employers vfrith the advance promise of some cash settlement. The confederation leaders are expected in industrial quarters to take a similar stand in the engineering dispute. All indications are that the confederation leaders will leave the Ministry today for their own meeting determined to press ahead with their strike plans. The general belief is that they will earmark certain firms for strike action, probably in the marine engineering, heavy engineering and aircraft industries. A general engineering stoppage would bring work to a halt in about 4500 plants. Rail Strike Threat

Possibilities of a third disastrous strike, in Britain’s State rail system, were discussed yesterday at a meeting of the executive of the 380,000-strong National Union of Railwaymen, which is asking for a ten per cent, wage increase. The union executive is to remain in session all this week waiting for a report on the wage claim by the Railway Staff National Tribunal.

It is expected that this report will recommend a rise well below the five per cent, which union chiefs regard as the minimum acceptable. In this event, there will be strong pressure on the leaders to call a national strike. The Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan), in his first major policy speech, appealed last night for arbitration in the industrial disputes.

He said it was a tragedy that the nation should become the victim of self-inflicted wounds and added that the only beneficiaries would be Britain’s industrial competitors.

The shadow of the big strikes put the £ sterling down yesterday. It fell to its lowest level since January 2. This drop was immediately reflected in most Government securities, which dropped by around half a point.

Soviet Submarine Activity (Rec. 10 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, March 18. Soviet submarine activity was increasing and the area of its underwater operations was expanding, the Chief of United States Naval Operations, Admiral •Arleigh Burke, said today. Asked if Soviet submarines had been spotted anywhere near the United States, Admiral Burke smiled and said: “Next question?” .It was not known whether the

Russians had developed a nuclearpowered submarine or whether the Soviets have missile-flring submarines. "But we know Russia is interested in nuclear-powered ships.” he said, "and they're pretty good with missiles.”