Bring unions to heel, Govt told as strikes worsen

Press, 26 January 1979, Page 6

Bring unions to heel, Govt told as strikes worsen

International

biZPA London British civil servants have joined the long list of those on strike, about to strike, likely to strike, or threatening to strike.

• And as the tram drivers (dug in their heels for another one-day stoppage, Joday, the lorry men's strike; was reported to have brought the number ofli workers laid oft to 200,000. The teachers got set to (put tn a claim for a 30 peril cent plus pay rise, and J 250,000 building workers went for a “substantial” increase in excess of the 5 per cent pay policy. i . Added to this, continuing: selective strikes by public, service workers caused chaos everywhere — from 1 hospitals to sewage works,! 1 motorways to mortuaries. The general council of the 1 Trades Union Congress brought one ray of hope when it accepted an in- H vitation to meet the Prime; Minister (Mr James Callag-i han), probably next week, in another bid to get an under- , standing between the unions ' and Government. Before the talks, however,! the Government must face an attack in the Commons I today. The Conservatives are to i mount a debate on Britain’s industrial crisis and deteriorating economic situation. ; The Liberals refused to j say whether they would sup- i port the Tory onslaught, but i the party’s economic spokesman. John Pardoe. welcomed 1 the debate. ii The Conservatives, whop have consistently advocated!.

tougher measures against!: striking trade unionists, will « table a motion calling on the I ;Government io assert the t authority of Parliament over; organised labour. [i The Opposition wants the : Labour Government to be , more active in combating; I the effects of pay strikes, !< 'which have closed schools,!; cemeteries, railways and air-h ports, and throttled industrial supply lines. u The Home Secretary (Mr j Merlyn Rees) hinted on i Wednesday that the Govern-!, ment would use troops toij ! ensure the flow of vital, ( ; medical supplies it striking! lorry drivers did not let!, them through picket-lines. Newspapers yesterday, i published reports of patientsj ; suffering from cancer beingi ; [turned away from a hospital! in the Midlands because ( striking porters and other staff were blocking supplies. ]] Mr Rees told Parliament :[ that if union instructions for|\ pickets to let essential sup- ’ plies past were not obeyed he was not prepared to tell I relatives of cancer patients : f the Government would do! I nothing. 1 The Government called in J troops on Monday to stand in for striking ambulance-it men, but they were later s withdrawn as unnecessary. On Wednesday, a day-long J f thaw made the going;( slightly easier. But with fresh snowfalls predicted —r and with the one-day rail It

I strike still on — things look! set for a repeat tomorrow of; the last two days’ travel ! chaos. And a new threat to com-; muters has reared its head.; Supplies of road salt were; described as being “critical”! Iby the Royal Automobile] Club, with' many local] authorities down to less’ than a few days supply. Britain’s biggest Civil Ser-' [vice union announced that; [its members had voted two: [to one in favour of a one-] ; day strike, selective strikesl !in key installations, and [ • other industrial action. i The action, and perhaps a; [one-day strike in late Febru-[ 'ary, hinges on whether the] • Government stands by the! [results of an independent] [study on civil servants’ pay. j [ The 180.000 strong] 'Civil and Public Service; Association will put] tentative proposals for ac-i I tion to the other seven Civil I service unions next week. ; The unions claim that the. pay research study shows' some civil servants to be 15 'per cent to 20 per cent or; more behind comparable! jobs outside the service. . j The miners will today re-] ceive the Coal Board’s] answer to their 40 per cent; plus claim, which would put face workers on a basic $110; (about $200) a week. The claim includes a de-; mand for a four-day week, a] comprehensive package af 1

I other benefits, and a return! '•to November 1 as their set-i I'tlement date, it was a I miners’ strike in 1974 that ■] eventually brought down the .'last Tory Government. :; Mr Callaghan met nurses ’(leaders at 10 Downing Street don Wednesday to discuss II their pay grievances. The ■ nurses, who complain they (have fallen far behind’ on • the pay scale, have pled|ged never to call an all-out >'strike. ■; Left-wingers in the ruling ;; Labour Party were upset by '[the Prime Minister’s stateiment on Tuesday defending 1 i the right of workers to, cross ’ picket lines and hinting that : ;the police should take : ! stronger action to control excessive picketing. • Some trade unionists saw >1 his remarks as betrayal of ‘[the principles of the Labour [movement. Political com[mentators said it depicted :Mr Callaghan’s concern that [the strikes could lose him ; [ this year’s General Election. • [ There was another • “’strike” yesterday. The Lon■]don “Evening Standard’s”: [cartoonist, Jak. presented] [readers with a blank space] [containing numbers from; Jone to 134. The cartoon caption be-; , neath said: “Jak is on striked [Draw it yourself.” When; [linked together, the numbers] • showed a picture of Mr Cal-| .[laghan carrying his bags out] ’•of 10 Downing Street.