Men to hear new deal today

FROM IAN YEATS IN GLASGOW BOILERMAKERS' Scottish executive member James Murray claims to have a peace formula to break the deadlock caused by the Govan boilermakers' refusal to sign the new procedural agreement with the company.

This emerged after an hourlong meeting between shop stewards, union officials and the full board of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd yesterday.

A majority of the 1,200 boilermakers have twice rejected the agreement endorsed by all nine other unions at the yard, the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions and the joint shop stewards negotiating committee.

Wage rates are not mentioned in the deal although there is a promise that a new pay structure will be negotiated not later than next January. Meanwhile an earnings ceiling would be imposed.

Boilermakers' stewards have argued at two successive meetings that the agreement should be signed and details hammered out once Govan Shipbuilders gets off the ground.

But after 14 months' virtual pay freeze their members are demanding an immediate rIse with effect from the date of signing the agreement.

Talks between company chairman Lord Strathalmond, irade union officials and shop stewards, including co-ordinating committee chairman James Airlie, ended inconclusively on Monday after two hours.

•Lord Strathalmond said later there was little hope the new claims of the boilermakers would be accepted. He was expected throw down sign-or-else ultimatum at yesterday's talks.

Govan Shipbuilders w a s scheduled to begin formal operations in its own name next Monday, but without agreement from all ten unions in the three yards the £35m government cash needed to start them off would not be forthcoming.

Until yesterday's meeting the company, the Stalinist-led coordinating committee and union officials loudly condemned the boilermakers' stand and warned that unless they swung back into line shipbuilding on the upper Clyde was doomed.

But by lunchtime yesterday the threats had disappeared and in a TURN TO p. 12