BRITISH SHIPYARDS

Evening Star, Issue 20587, 12 September 1930, Page 9

BRITISH SHIPYARDS

MORE ECONOMICAL WORKING CONFERENCE OF EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS Press Association — By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, September 11. (Received September 12, at 1.30 a.m.) A conference of employers and workers in the shipbuilding industry has been summoned to consider the position created by the operations of National Shipbuilders’ Security, Ltd. The question of the future of displaced workers has been raised by the prospect of abandonment at the end of the year of Boardmore’s shipbuilding yard at Dalrauir, in which the staff at present is only SGO, though 6,000 were employed during war time. Negotiations have been advanced for closing another yard on the west coast of Scotland, and one on the east coast of England. A similar process of weeding out is being pursued in other industries. It is argued that although this may involve some unemployment and hardship at present it will lead to extended employment when efficiency and the elimination of waste have promoted increased productivity. [The elimination of redundant and obsolete shipyards, more economical working through concentrated production, and financial assistance to shipbuilders aro among the avowed objects of National Shipbuilders’ Security, Ltd., which was registered on February 27, with a nominal capital of £lO,000. with power to borrow to £3,000,000. The. promoters pointed out that consolidation had been in progress steadily during the past two years, but further concentration was imperative. War shipbuilding, which before the war represented 25 per cent, of the total tonnage, was now a mere oneseventh. Britain maintained supremacy in the industry, but rationalisation was necessary to place it permanently on a sound basis. Most of the big yards favoured the scheme.]