Production And Costs— British Union Leaders Reach Compromise

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 November 1949, Page 5

Production And Costs— British Union Leaders Reach Compromise

LONDON, November 8 (Rec 11 a.m,).—The British trades union leaders decided today to give full support to the Labour Government’s policy of greater production at less cost. The speciaTeconomic committee of the Trades Union Congress, which has been studying the effects of devaluation, ended its meeting today and announced that it had reached “broad and general conclusions,’’ which it had recommended the general council of the T.U.C. to adopt as its official policy at a special meeting tomorrow. /

■ The nature o£ the recommendations were kept a secret, hut wellinformed quarters forecast that a two-point policy would emerge from tomorrow’s general council meeting. This would recommend: 1. The trade unions must continue with even greater effort to keep their ’ demands for higher wages under restraint. . , , , 2 The tijade unions must back a big,' new effort to raise production. Since the devaluation decision seven weeks ago, the T.U.C. special committee has examined a number of policies, including a proposal .that there should be a complete standstill on all but the lowest incomes and another that there should be national minimum wages. With more than half the membership of the T.U.C. committed to claims for higher wages, the leaders, however, were not prepared to make concessions necessary to introduce such policies. The “broad and general conclusions” which have resulted from their discussions represent a compromise. Meanwhile, in an award issued today the National Arbitration Tribunal emphasised the view expressed

in a previous award that a production incentive scheme should operate in the electrical contracting industry in England and wales. The dispute arose from an hourly pay ! rise claim. The employers —the National Federated Electrical Association—contended that the rise was unjustified. | The tribunal held that the parties should jointly consider incentive ' schemes and decided that, because ; such talks should be held without more delay, the decision on the pay claim be deferred for six months.