No retreat on our claim'

BUILDING WORKERS ye slammed the proposed new deal which would only give basic immediately, last for 26 and offer nothing on a cut working week. Delegations from London sites lobbied a meeting of the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians' executive meeting yesterday demanding no retreat on the full claim for a £30, 35-hour week and a third week's holiday.

Tomorrow there will be a mass lobby of builders—many in their 12th week of strike action-at the employers' London headquarters in Cavendish Street when union leaders meet to discuss the proposals.

The employers met yesterday to discuss their attitude to a deal fixed up at several informal meetings- mostly at last week's TUC--between the sides. Chief. union negotiators Monday and the Transport and General Workers' Union leaders meet today.

Under the proposed deal, a guaranteed of £3 would be paid from May 1973, although the basic rate would stay at £26 until the following October when it would rise to £28.

Also in October 1973, a cost-of-living clause would be introduced. Then in. June 1974 a new minimum guaranteed carlines level of f31 would be introduced. Finally, the deal would expire in November 1974, 26 months from now.

On the key question of hours, nothing at all is conceded, except talks at the end of 1973!

Clearly builders will move to throw out this rotten compromise for what it is. There is no substantial movement on the claim for an immediate £30 basic rate.

In 26 months time, in fact, the rate will still be £2 short of the demand. And the proposed length of the deal is completely unacceptable in conditions of rapid inflation and Common Market entry.

On August 8, Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians' officials failed to turn up to sign a deal only giving a £23 basic and which contained a no-strike clause in relation to the guaranteed bonus.

The movement of the rank-and-file building workers prevented such a compromise going ahead and will undoubtedly do the same this time.

The demand must go out to the union leaders, led by George Smith, to stop the retreat and call an all-out national strike for the full claim. sterday wages a £26 months in the ITS The helicopter being used by Essex bullding contractor See story p.12. Shipbuilding gloom IN DYING breath the Labour - inspired Shipbuilding Industry Board warns the Tories that British shipbuilding faces a tough future.

Lamenting the end of its four-year existence, the last SIB annual report-issued as a White Paper—says: 'It seems a pity that this accumulated experience will no longer be available.' Chairman Sir William Swallow ends his term of office with a plea for strong government aid for the declining shipbuilding *The immediate future is one of financial stress while contracts involving losses, mainly due to inflation, are worked through.

*This industry is going to continue to require access to capital it can reasonably afford to service if it is to maintain a competitive position and improve its scope for employment.' But Swallow is whistling in the dark. He has completely misunderstood the intentions of the 22227 PAPERBACKS CENTRE 28 Charlotte St London W1

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BOOKS @ PERIODICALS @ NEWSPAPERS igan on-unionists ng glog Sir William Swallow: Whistling In the dark In just the same way as steelworks are being shut down one after the other to integrate steel production in Common Market iron and steel policy, so shipbuilding is being 'rationalized' too.

The Tories' hostility to the feather-bedding role of the SIB was made dramatically clear when the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee issued annual report on August 31.

The committee, a watchdog body, over public expendit UBeS sharply criticized the S spending programme.

The committee said that the many millions distributed by the SIB had been wasteful and had not assisted in making the country's shipbuilding industry competitive.

By December 1971 grants and loans made by the SIB to UCS totalled £21.2m. Harland and Wolff had received £22.5m plus £7.5m from the Northern Ireland government.

Commenting on these monumental reformist policies Swallow suggests that the SIB needed more time before the loan-giving would take effect. • A fresh warning on the bleak future facing British shipbuilding has been made recently by the head of the European Council of Large Ships.

Dr Jurgen Krackow told 'The Times' that growing world competition made a reduction in the European shipbuilding industry inescapable.

He added: "There will be no room for lame ducks.' The Council hopes to negotiate an agreement with Japan early next year to limit west European and Japanese shipbuilding, but Dr Krackow warned that they were facing competition not only from Japan, but from America as well.

German shipbuilders have insistently demanded heavier subsidies, but in return the government is demanding drastic rationalization to maximize efficiency and eliminate duplication of facilities.

The formulation of common shipbuilding policies within the Common Market is certain to hit Britain hard with its small and largely out-of-date yards.