Settlement Hopes In Railway Talks

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 13

Settlement Hopes In Railway Talks

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PENZANCE, July 5. “Peace talks” to end Britain’s 12-day railway work-to-rule campaign resume today. There are hopes of a settle-

ment before another week-end of chaotic holiday traffic. Railway chiefs and union leaders, locked in a pay dispute, ended 10 hours of talks last night and agreed to hold another session this morning.

As the talks dragged on yesterday the union leaders warned that unless a settlement was reached, services would again be suspended for 32 hours at the week-end. Mr Leonard Neal, the Railways Board negotiator, said early today that the talks would resume “even nearer a settlement” than yesterday. Mr S. Greene, general secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, said: "We have made some progress.” Union leaders insist on an all-round pay increase for 270,000 railwaymen, who are working to rule and banning both overtime and work on rest days.

The Railways Board earlier this week offered a 3 per cent pay rise for 120,000 railwaymen.

But the offer was rejected by the National Union of Railwaymen—at present holding their annual conference at Penzance and by the Footplatemen’s Union.

Aid For Indonesia.—The United States has committed more than $125 million in aid to Indonesia this year, substantially more than originally proposed at conferences of Indonesia’s donor nations, American official sources said today.—Djakarta, July 5.