Harsher MDW plans private? - at Linwood

over the 48-per-cent state holding in the group to private investors.

The Glasgow - based consortium was yesterday understood to have asked Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Davies, to dispose of the government's holding—worth £3,750,000.

The holding forms part of Labour government's financial assistance given to shipbuilders in the group last year on the condition that the government took a substantial stake in the group.

Upper Clyde Shipbuilders made plans last year to divert its resources to the building of container ships, which require very few finishing trades, and to pay off several thousand joiners, painters, etc.

Warned

Employers arrogantly warned that they would sack all 13,000 workers if 3,500 redundancies were not accepted.

This was an attempt by shipyards' management to make workers bear the burden of the industry's acute economic crisis.

The real meaning of their statement that the shipyard's future is sufficiently financially secure to enable them to enter the private sector is revealed by the fact that the work force in the yards has been cut by almost half to 7,000.

Standardized

With the exception of an oil rig, they have managed to dispose of all their lossmaking' contracts and are now almost exclusively engaged in building their own design ships and standardized bulk carriers.

The latest move has brought forward a number of shipowning firms eager to secure a share of the profits.

LISBON'S University technical college students yesterday protested against police attacks on a series of student meetings held in the college on Thursday night, when the demand for greater student freedoms was discussed.

WEATHER WEEKEND WEATHER will be dull and cloudy with rain at times in most areas. Early fog in central, E England and S Scotland will clear, but persist on hills in N Ireland, Wales, W and NW England. Temperatures will rise to seasonal level, except in N Scotland. ORDER YOUR POSTERS FURTHER speed-up faces motormen at Chrysler's Linwood plant, near Glasgow, if yesterday's acceptance of a new pay deal by 2,000 engineering workers is not reversed.

Mass meetings of AEF and T&GWU members accepted a £5-a-week wage increase backdated to January 1 as payment for an intensification of the existing Measured-Day Work The 2,000 National Union of Vehicle Builders' members have decided not to accept the offer and are awaiting the outcome of further talks.

Linwood's 6,500 workers have already experienced massive erosion of their pay through inflation during the period of the last three-year productivity agreement which expired at the end of December.

CRISIS

Despite MDW, Chrysler UK has staggered from crisis to crisis financially since the £20m US take-over of Rootes Until now, Chrysler workers have resisted management attempts to increase track speeds to 50 cars an hour and strike el0-a-wee in tease wed not ceded to bring Linwood in line with the Coventry Ryton plant.

There are also fears that the new deal will mean redundancies.

LINE ENDS

After Simca production officials visited Linwood, pattern-makers — one of the plant's most militant sections —were told that production of dies for Simca tools was to end.

The number of patternmakers is likely to be cut from 70 to ten, while 450 toolroom sackings are rumoured.

ALL TRADES MEETINGS Miners and the Charter of Basic OLLERTON: Saturday, January 12 noon. 'The Plough' Speak Ecki Barker (Ollerton Colliery).

Come to Alexandra Palace!

Force the Tories to resign! SWINDON: Sunday, January 17, 8 p.m. Oxford Hotel, Drove Ra. 50.. Coop and 47-5. Bal. January ham High Rd.

CROYDON: Monday January 18, 3 p.m. Ruskin House, coombe Ra, • Croydon.

WILLESDEN: (Note changed date) ELECTRICITY generating workers in two main French towns took unofficial action in support of their claims on In Lyons technical workers walked out, demanding that management open immediate negotiations on their claim.