Accusations in U.K. economic crisis

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33446, 30 January 1974, Page 18

Accusations in U.K. economic crisis

'.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyrightj LONDON, January 29. Britain’s economic crisis developed more political overtones today after the Prime Minister (Mr Heath) accused some coalminers' leaders of being more concerned with toppling his (government than with raising miners’ wages.

In a nationally-tele-vised interview last night. Mr Heath said that Mr Mick McGahey, the Communist vicepresident of the National I nion of Mineworkers, and “another miners’ leader’’ were trying to smash Stage 111, the

Government’s special anti-inflation law. Mr Heath called on the miners themselves to reflect

on the Government’s pay, offer within Stage HI, worth; £44m a year. But he said that the Government. in the light of an imminent strike by the nation’s 270,000 miners, had “under consideration” the possibility of changing the law which at present allows, the payment of social security benefits to families; of strikers. Britain—short of coal supplies after a 10-week overtime ban by the miners—is? on a three-day work-week to; I conserve power, and the Minister of Energy (Lord i Carrington) has warned it'i might even be cut to two days. ; Britain’s stock markets hit 11 their lowest point today forb seven years, train drivers i called a series of regional’ one-day strikes, and em- I ployers’ leaders warned that “a few million people” I would be temporarily un- < employed as a result of short- < time working in factories. I STOCKS DOWN The “Financial Times” r index of 30 leading industrial I! stocks plunged nearly 15 ’

points to reach 301.7 —its lowest since December, 1966. The Prime Minister said in last night’s interview that the two miners’ leaders aimed '"to smash Stage 111, and by that 1 mean smashing what is accepted as fair and approved by Parliament, and

to get rid of the elected Gov(eminent of the day.” Mr Heath brushed aside the question of an early election, despite warnings that industrial production might plummet next month as the short work-week begins to bite. A group of some 200 Labour Party members of Parliament later accused the ,8.8. C. of transforming the interview into “a party politijcal broadcast.” Mr McGahey yesterday threatened to withdraw all safety and maintenance workers in the event of a national pit stoppage, while Mr Len Murray, general secretary of the Trades Union i Congress, said that the trade kinion movement would not stand by “with its arms 1 folded” if the miners were in trouble.