Troops still at the ready as Council unions reject latest wage offer

think Capitalist laws today THE Where ample emped the repressive sufficed to do away allowed repression BY A POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT in Britain today. TUC's Feather speaking yesterday THE LIFE-and-death issues involved for workers in the rapid growth of multi-national combines only occasionAS SEVEN more councils agreed to pay their manual workers full increase, union leaders in London yesterday rejected the rise, but made fresh appeals to employers for a new offer.

The authorities who agreed to meet the demands in full were — Kidsgrove, Newcastleunder-Lyme, Bedworth, Cleethorpes, Falmouth, Ruthin in Wales and Skelmersdale.

This brings the total number of authorities who have conceded to the claim to 14.

The pollution operations room at the new Ministry of Environment was on 24hour alert yesterday ready for distress calls from local authorities.

But a spokesman denied reports that they were then would act witho taking river samnlec or that requests from councils.

REPORTS

This is despite newspaper reports yesterday claiming that the Home Secretary would necessarily wait for local authorities to appeal to the government before sending in troops to prevent.

As yet no local authority has asked for help and Reading corporation has expressed puzzlement at the government announcement• that troops may have to be used in the next few days to prevent contamination of the Thames.

They pointed out that this will harden the local strikers' attitude and made it clear that there is as yet no real pollution threat to the river.

At Swindon too it was thought that the threat of military intervention may jeopardize peace talks held in the borough today.

Later the Swindon counmittee cil's policyand finance commeeting to discuss health hazards.

A Home Office statement late on Tuesday night stated that it was the government's responsibility to ensure a danger to public health did not arise.

ON CALL NUPE CIAL NUPE S OFFICIAL STRIKE Palace DUSTMEN in WESTMINSTER came out yesterday and Buckingham Palace and Whitehall including No 10 may soon have a rubbish problem. The Houses of Parliament are also affected.

The strike was escalated in the WEST COUNTRY yesterday and in YORKSHIRE workers in the North and East Ridings may be brought out before the end of the week.

BRISTOL housewives with their children lobbied the city's education committee yesterday demanding the Corporation pay up and meet their manual workers' claim in full.

The strike has closed nearly all Bristol's 220 schools and the polytechnic.

Transport and General Workers' stewards have decided to call all their members STKIKE NUP:

OFEIT STRS pickets rubbish mounts 77177 working for COVENTRY council out for a token stoppage tomorrow.

At a mass meeting in OXFORD men voted to stay out on strike. Mal Lewis, a dustman, said:

This is not just a fight for our over wagerights are fighting 'fought for the rights of trade unions as a miner in Wales and went to jail and we are prepared to do the same' Following the lead of Swindon engineers Croydon No 6 AEF branch has backed the councilmen's fight by calling on the district committee to organize a one-day strike in their support in the area's factories and workplaces.