AFTER WILBERFORCE High pay demands expected

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32847, 22 February 1972, Page 17

AFTER WILBERFORCE High pay demands expected

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, February 21, As Britain’s coal strike entered its seventh week, miners throughout the country prepared today for their expected “yes” vote on Wednesday to the “special case” agreement reached with their leaders during the weekend.

But as fuel supplies to power stations resumed, the Government of Mr Edward Heath braced to meet an expected epidemic of demands for much higher pay from unions claiming that their members also merit special consideration.

The first new demand could come on Thursday when leaders of railway unions will resume negotiations for “substantial” pay increases for their 300,000 members.

Mr Heath, meanwhile, was expected to adress the nation on television within the next week or 10 days, and observers expected that he would appeal to British workers to stay within the confines of the Government’s anti-infla-tion policy of 7 per cent to 8 per cent when they make their new demands.

The agreement reached with the miners’ leaders was based on the recommendations of the three-man government board of inquiry headed by Lord Wilberforce. The board allowed that the miners did indeed have a “special case” for a high rise and the agreement represented an increase of an estimated 21 per cent. Although the 280,000 miners as a whole were expected to approve the agreement, pockets of resistance were still apparent in sections of the country where workers felt they should have held out for all that they were asking —about 25 per cent.

The miners’ executive in the Kent area, in south-east England, yesterday voted to reject the new proposals, which call for increases of be-

tween £4.50 sterling and £6 a week.

The executive, which represents 3300 miners in the area, said that it was felt that all of the claim would have been met if the union leaders had waited a few more days. A spokesman said that he felt many of the area’s miners would vote against the proposals on Wednesday. As the miners prepared for their ballot, other unions appeared to be elated with the agreement and observers believed the Heath Government could have a tough time imposing its will in the face of this week-end’s accord. A new claim was expected shortly from 300,000 agriculture workers —only six weeks after their last award. Teachers, nurses, and steel workers—with negotiations expected to open soon—were also believed to be examining the implications of the Wilberforce report carefully. Bus drivers have turned down an offer of 7| per cent. A spokesman for workers at the country’s power stations, who settled a dispute of their own for 7| per cent during the miners’ strike, said that he had learned his lesson and would expect better treatment next year.

For Britons however, the immediate effects of the agreement were negligible. Selective electricity cuts were still being applied and a spokesman for the National

Coal Board said that even if the miners voted yes and returned to work next Monday —the earliest possible date—it would be another three weeks before power would be back to normal.

Unemployment resulting directly from the strike was expected to continue to rise today. It was placed officially at 1,800,000 on Friday and was expected to move past the two million mark today.