Sewage strike goes on in U.K.

Press, 31 January 1983, Page 9

Sewage strike goes on in U.K.

NZPA London Water and sewage workers’ leaders in Britain decided at the week-end to extend their one-week strike after receiving strong support from union members, said a spokesman. They will ask the executives of the three unions — General, Municipal and Boilermakers, Public Employees and Transport and General Workers — to call out 2000 Scottish workers next week in support. The workers have rejected the employers’ offer of a 7.3 per cent pay rise over a 16month period — in reply to their demand for a 15 per cent increase.

The 21-man trade union side representing 29,000 workers, called for meaningful negotiations with the National Water Council, with a traditional 12-month agreement and water workers getting into the top quarter of the male manual workers’ earnings league. Eddie Newall, the trade union side secretary and national officer of the biggest union in the industry, said that reports had shown it was absolutely clear that members overwhelmingly rejected the employers’ latest offer.

Nearly six million people in England and Wales were boiling their water at the week-end and more than 14,000 had no supply at all, said the National Water Council.