AIRLIFT OF FOOD INTO BRITAIN

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32360, 28 July 1970, Page 17

AIRLIFT OF FOOD INTO BRITAIN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, July 27.

As specially-chartered aircraft flew fruit and vegetables into Britain today, the 47,000 striking dock workers awaited developments that may end the stoppage at 40 ports, the New York Times News Service reports.

Wednesday. If the rise were accepted, work would resume on Thursday. At the strike-bound ports nearly 46,000 tons of perishable foods are still waiting to be unloaded, and an airlift has begun to meet food and material shortages. The aircraft have been chartered by British companies. Meat From Ulster Meat from Northern Ireland, grapes from Cyprus, and Channel Island tomatoes have been flown to Luton Airport, one of Britain’s largest airports for “package" tours and chartered flights. “It’s great fun—like the Berlin Airlift,” said Mr Richard Ward, a crew supervisor at the airport "We are all union members, but we are not in the least worried about beating the strike.” The civil airports at Mansion and Stansted were also reported busy with incoming and outgoing freight. “I can only describe this as a gigantic airlift,” said Mr Richard Lash, the Stansted operations manager. "Our aircraft are working round

The general secretary ' of the Transport and ] ■ General Workers’ Union : (Mr Jack Jones) and i i employers’ representa- j : fives are due to meet the j i Minister of Employment , \ and Productivity (Mr : Robert Carr) this mom- j faff. I ' The meeting will focus on a report, due to be released to- . ■ day, by a court of inquiry in- ; i to the deadlocked wage dis- : > pute that has led to some \ food scarcities and rising ] \ meat, fruit and vegetable ' f prices. New Zealand lamb has in- : creased by 4d per lb. ; The court of inquiry, pre- , sided over by Lord Pearson, a , senior judge, is expected to , recommend an increase in ; : the dockers' basic wage, the : key issue in the dispute. ( Even if the Government re- i port recommended a pay in- i crease, the recommendation would have to be put before a i full meeting of the union 1 delegate conference, which < would not be called until i

the clock, and our freightimport figures have gone up from 30 tons a day to nearly 300." Trans-Medlterranean Airways, normally a long-haul cargo-carrying line, carried machinery from Stansted to Hamburg and Rotterdam yesterday, and brought back tomatoes and cabbages. Foodstuffs Short The damaging effect of the strike on Britain’s food supplies was underlined by a warning that farmers would be forced soon to slaughter prematurely vast numbers of livestock and poultry. Mr Desmond Bird, director of the Animal Foodstuffs Manufacturers’ Association, said that the strike had hit Britain in the midst of a serious cereal shortage, and that! unless strike-bound imports began to filter in, animal foodstuffs manufacturers would have to wind down production to a total halt within two weeks. Wholesale butchers have alreacy limited meat supplies to retailers, although official rationing has not been considered by the Government Several wholesale grocery firms, too, have restricted supplies, of sugar, butter and bacon. But butter and cheese wholesalers, who met on Saturday to discuss supplies, estimate that Britain has enough butter for five weeks and cheese for 10. Danish bacon supplies have been cut by 50 per cent. While the Minister of Agriculture (Mr James Prior), studies the situation from day to day, Opposition M.P.s have urged him to fix maximum prices for food now, before they go any higher.

Cholera Toll Forty more people are reported to have died of cholera in Demak and Kendal, in Central Java. The Ministry of Health last week broadcast warnings that a serious cholera epidemic was spreading across West Java. —Djakarta, July 27.