Weak protest by TUC

Workers Press no. 260, 24 September 1970 · scan page 2

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TRADE union chiefs yesterday accused the Tory government of 'abdicating' from what they regard as its job of strike 'peace making'.

ine accusation vernment plans to gi le Department of Emplo ment and larger role in carrying out Tory economic policy.

The union chiefs' objections are simply that this will interfere with the existing conciliation machinery.

A top-level trade union delegation — representatives of the TUC's Economic Committee - met Robert Carr, Minister for Employment and Productivity, yesterday afternoon.

Independent

Before the meeting, TUC secretary Victor Feather stressed the need for nego. tiating committees and conciliation machinery to be independent of government economic policy.

'If the DEP's being made an arm government economic policy, he said, 'we are saying there is some difficulty in respect of 'If they are bailing out of this important function we think it ought to expressly said.' If this is to be the TUC's main objection to the government plan, it is a further indication of the extent to which the TUC has retreated.

There was no indication yesterday that the TUC was considering any further action in the face of the government's threatened anti-trade union laws, the first draft of which is to appear next month.