Barber's 'tough' wages line repeated for economists

FROM DAVID in Blackpool LOCAL productivity dealing was decisively thrown out yesterday by the Union of Post Office Workers' conference at Blackpool.

Delegates from almost every area in the country went to the rostrum to describe their leaders' proposals for a new turn in pay policy as 'dangerous, 'divisive' and cowardly.

The overwhelming decision was the third serious defeat which has been inflicted on the UPW executive this week.

In a last-ditch, but fatalistic attempt to swing the conference his way, union secretary, Tom Jackson, claimed national bargaining had failed as a policy.

Putting productivity savings in a central 'kitty' then dividing them up, had won 'the princely he said. This was derisory. kitty sum in five years of lt per cent', While the national kitty scheme was a good trade union policy, Jackson claimed, it had, in the last 12 months, produced exactly for each the union's 190,000 members.

But conference was adamant. All but a handful of the 1,450 delegates backed a resolution that national pay bargaining should continue and that productivity savings should continue to be totted up at national level.

They obliterated the proposal by the union executive that local bonuses should be paid for productivity on a twice-yearly basis. Also expressed in the debate was a strong current of opposition to all forms of productivity dealing Sam Cameron, a Dundee postman, said that the union could not co-operate with policies which would send its members to the labour exchange.

ack London, a City of Londo leader, said that une executive's proposal would open up a dog-eat-dog situation.

Jimmy Thakoordan, from Luton, accused the executive of cowardice. It wanted to avoid a confrontation with the government over pay, he said. Union had to fight together and share the victory.

Jackson and other UPW chiefs are now seriously worried that the policies of co-operation on which they have led the union for a number of years are threatened.

The union secretary told me after the debate that while yesterday's decision was less far-reaching than Tuesday's block on mechanization, it was another expression of a new mood in the union. And this fear was ex. pressed before the conference in an attack on delegates who wanted to "talk politics'.

The debate, he said, was not about destroying the system under which we live.

WEATHER RAIN in east and south-east England will clear during the morning followed by brighter weather with scattered showers. Western districts of England, also Wales, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland will have a day of showers and sunny spells with the showers mostly dying out in the evening.

Northern and eastern Scotland will have periods of rain and although brighter weather with sunny intervals and showers will reach eastern Scotland during the morning, the brighter weather may not reach the northern isles till late in the day.

Temperatures will be near the late May normal. Outlook for Saturday and Sunday: Blustery showers and sunny intervals but more sunshine and fewer showers on Sunday. Temperatures a little below normal and becoming colder in the north-west.

High Street, London, SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London.

SW4 7UG. down wages. miners was the annual MAY FUND NEEDED IN SIX DAYS FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT TORY chancellor Anthony Barber yesterday the representatives of international capitalism government would take determined action To give in to high wage one of the prime function Organization for Economic meeting in Paris.

The British government would not be deterred by the problems facing such a policy, he said.

Barber's frank declaration of Tory intentions towards the working class opened the second day of the OECD ministerial talks, called chiefly to discuss the international monetary. crisis.

It was no doubt aimed at reassuring the other capitalist representatives that the Tories intend to go to the end in their drive subjugate the trade unions. Britain's worsening trade position is one of the topics of discussion at the meeting.

The sharp tone of the Paris talks was set by the announcement earlier this week that the US balance of payments for 1972 will show a record deficit. The American delegation have indicated that they will not discuss changes in the monetary system separately from trade issues.

This means that only those countries which fall into line with Washington's demands for trade concessions will benefit from whatever, changes are made in the monetary sphere.

It. is a prescription for bi£2,000-ayear miners for £2,000-a-year agreed yesterday at conference of the miners.

Delegates meeting in Porthcawl passed a resolution demanding a £7-a-week increase for lower grade underground workers to take their wages to £32, £7-a-week for surface day wage workers making their wage £30 and £5.50 for power loading workers making their wages £40.

Elwyn Williams, secretary of Bedlinog miners lodge said: 'You can't expect the Coal Board to offer us £2.50. You can rest assured that we shall be on strike next year again.' THERE Is not a moment to lose. Six days left and our May Fund stands at £1,317.65. Let's go into action today.

The battle between this Tory government and the dockers is on. Nothing can stop this major confrontation taking place. The determination of the dockers speaks out for the working class as a whole.

We urge you all thereforeraise everything you can for our Fund this month. Collect as much as possible. We must complete our total In time. Post every donation immediately to:

186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG assured that the to hold demands would be to abandon i of government, he told the Co-operation and Development lateralism in trade and the further fragmentation of the capitalist world into hostile blocs.

As Barber's speech makes clear, this is the framework within which the Tory government presses ahead with its Bonapartist onslaught on the working class. Union officials were given a rough time from a dockers' meeting yesterday when they demanded the black on containers be lifted. See story and another picture p. 1.

Union abandons Daytona picket THE Birmingham East district committee of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, under pressure from the union's executive council, has virtually abandoned an 18month long struggle at Daytrina Engineering Limited.

The strike began in the autumn uf 1970 when 25 men stopped work in support of union recognition.

Last Monday night the district committee agreed to withdraw the remaining six pickets from the gates. Osram marchers vote to stay out THE SIX-WEEK old dispute at GEC-Osram, Erith, is to go on and backing will be sought from other factories in the combine.

The 200 workers marched through Erith to a mass meeting at the Corinthian restaurant yesterday to hear the latest situation explained by union AUEW 'official' delay criticized by A MEETING of workers from Goodyear Tyres at Wolverhampton in the third week of a strike yesterday criticized the AUEW executive council for its delay in making the dispute official.

The mover of the motion pointed out that the men's demands for a substantial rise, a reduction in • hours and longer holidays are in line with official AUEW policy.

He said. the EC had two Of these one has found work at a local car factory while the others will be paid for a further eight weeks out of a district levy and then left to fend for themselves.

A nation-wide black imposed by the union's executive council on Daytona products will, in theory, continue.

But the lack of firmness in applying the black has been a major source of bitterness and frustration for the strikers.

The final blow, according to shop steward Dale Brierley, came AUEW works' convenor Len Foley told the meeting ther e had been no further moves by GEC management on their £6-a pay claim since last week's £1.20 offer.

He said: I am sure months' knowledge that a dispute was likely.

The men are to meet again this morning to discuss with local AUEW and EPTU officials some way of ending the deadlock with the firm. AUEW convenor Alf Fishlock told 'no progress' with negotiations.

Talks virtually broke down on Thursday and, he said, 'the management do not appear to want to make a reasonable settlement'. Fighting cash ENGINEERING terday put mol their members union demands less hours. last week when a consignment of castings from Baker-Perkins, Peterborough been operating the whose workers should have black, arrived at the factory.

The men alleged that at the district committee on Monday they were told that a letter had arrived from executive council to the effect that under no circumstances should they prevent work from Baker-Perkins going in. This would amount to 'third party blacking' The implication is that this would be actionable under Industrial Relations Act.

what your decision will be again this week. Our position is stronger now that Birmingham is out with us.' Officials said they would approach workers at GEC's Wembley factory to try and set up support for their fight and cash is being levied in local factories to help those short of money.

employ ers yesre mone! who are resisting for more pay and The point employers are firmest over is the unions demand for a 35-hour week-a demand that was taken off the list of top priorities by the executive of the key Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers two weeks ago.