T.U.C. BREAKS SILENCE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 11

T.U.C. BREAKS SILENCE

Wages Tribunal Met

(Rec. 9.15 p.m.) LONDON. January 9. Leaders of the 8.000,000-strong Trades Union Congress yesterday broke months of silence and met the Government’s “three wise men” Council on Prices, Productivity and Income. Only six of the 14 members of the T.U.C.’s economic committee met the Productivity Council, which was set up by the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Peter Thorneycroft, to advise on problems of inflation. Mr Frank Cousins, head of the powerful Transport and General Workers’ Union, and other T.U.C. leaders oppose giving evidence to the council and did not attend. The chairman of the T.U.C. committee, Mr Alan Birch, said later that the union men had expressed opposition to the Government’s financial policy, including the credit squeeze, during the three-hour meeting.

The T.U.C. hesitated for two months before they met the council because of opposition to the idea that organised labour Should have anything to. do with a Government inquiry. Police Agree to Wait

Meanwhile, representatives of some 70,000 policemen who want a “substantial increase” of about 10 per cent, agreed to postpone their claim until after Easter. After six hours the . talks broke down, and leaders of 53,000 London busmen and the London Transport Board Executive decided to ask Sir Wilfred Neden, Chief Industrial Commissioner at the Ministry of Labour, to intervene. The London Transport Board rejected outright the busmen’s claim for 25s more a week.

In other talks, leaders of 40,000 Health Service workers agreed to a management appeal to defer their pay claim until after February 12 to await possible regrading of workers.

A claim for £1 a week rise was submitted to employers today by representatives of 100,000 wholesale grocery workers.

DEATH OF FORMER MINISTER Colonel Walter Elliot, M.P. (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 8. Colonel Walter Elliot, Conservative Member of Parliament for Kelvingrove since 1950 and a former Minister, died suddenly at his home tonight, aged 60. He had a heart attack earlier in the day while mil walking.

Radar Speed-Tests

Found Inaccurate

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, January 9. The police in Victoria tested radar speed-checking equipment last year, and found it inaccurate, the head of the traffic branch Superintendent Arnold, said today.

Mr B C. Campbell, of the New Zealand Transport Department, suggested yesterday that Victoria should enforce speed limits on country highways by radar. Superintendent Arnold said today: “Perhaps they use a afferent sort of equipment from toe type we tested.”