RACHMAN CHARGE AGAINST

Workers Press no. 2, 30 September 1969 · scan page 5

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ACCUSATIONS of behaviour that 'stinks of Rachmanism' were made by a Labour councillor against the National Coal Board at Midiotinan of Nenatosgranast The NCB intends to raise rents over a period, starting with another 7s 6d a week, to £2-£3 a week.

Increases are already charged on re-let houses.

Complained one disabled miner: 'We've paid for them two or three times over, already' Many of the 70-year-old houses are in disrepair, despite NCB claims of high maintenance costs.

A miner's widow told me she had to wait six months for a new front-door step.

Most tenants do their inside repairs. Yet, one young housewife said :

'If they see the house is in send shall be morell you the A former miners' union branch secretary thought the NCB might clear some land and make it attractive to developers.

It is on the EdinburghCarlisle main road within 'commuter distance' of Edinburgh.

ROTHERHAM T UNITE AGA RISE ROTHERHAM (Yorks.). council has announced 4s. to 10s.-a-week rent increases for December.

Tory councillors have accused the Labour group of fooling the public by delay. ing the announcement unti after the local elections.

Labour's defence is that the increases are inevitable.

Poor tenants

There are many poorlypaid and unemployed council tenants who fear the increases will be unbearable.

One young housewife said: 'I don't know where the money is going to come from. I have a family of four and EXHIBITION STRIKE EARLS COURT exhibition centre, London, was hit on Friday • by a strike of exhibition workers and Electrical Trades Union members.

The strike also affected Olympia.

The strikes are aimed at raising the existing wage rates for craftsmen from 9s 8d to 14s an hour. The Prices and Incomes Board has already vetoed an employers' offer of Ils 3d an hour. payments made by the GPO before final contract prices have been fixed under the complex of fair profit regulations'.

Even the toothless Commons Public Accounts Committee has been aroused from slumber.

The "Sunday Telegraph' for August 17 proclaimed:

•Mr. Wilson is understood to be deeply embarrassed by the committee's allegations that millions of pounds of taxpayers money have been squandered'.

Fire

Among the departments under heaviest fire was of course the GPO.

In the light of these criticisms it comes as no surprise that one of the GPO's bigger suppliers of telephone equipment, Plesseys, nounced record and their risen sharply on the Stock Exchange.

However, neither Plesseys пог any other company is criticized by the Public Accounts Committee or the comptroller.

All the dealings of the company are entirely in accordance with standard business practice.

Out of Plessey's total £179