First victims drive into

profits-but prices may still rise GAS PRICES may go up again in spite of recordbreaking sales and a £15m surplus for the industry last year.

This is indicated in yesterday's annual report from the Gas Council which disclosed the sales record and surplus along with statements from some area boards on the need for gas price increases.

The council's report says that eight gas boards and itself made surpluses totalling £20.2m and game. fotalling a5.tm. Tae industryss total surplus was therefore £15.1m in comparison with a £2m surplus the previous year.

A major factor in the latest surplus was an increase in total gas sales of 30 per cent over the previous year. Total sales were more than 8,000 million therms- the continent. 'easily an all-time sales record'. LUCAS WORKERS at Fazakerley, Liverpool, are convinced they are the first victims of the firm's big drive into Europe. The concensus of opinion from the men as they settled into their second day of occupation was that they were pawns in the big Common Market Certainly there is evidence to support their suspicions. In his last annual report company president Sir Bertram Waring, vice-president of the Engineering Employers' Federation, reported on the delighttul prospect of business on He told of the continual expansion of the firm's European subsidiaries and said they would prepare 'diligently' for the 'changing Europe patterns of trade' entry would bring. The Lucas balance sheet shows that already one third of the combine's profit comes from abroad.

'But with the £12-aweek wage, the top skilled men get in "Condiesel" that's hardly surprising, John Howe, a young shop steward leading the occupation, Condiesel is a shortened form for Constructora de Equipas Diesel SA, an associate company Lucas' based in Barcelona, At the factory gate, now emblazoned with the sit-in banner, one man held up an invoice. It was from Condiesel and read - *55 'We send them the com onents and they do the come boy. There tornis come over here for tribution to stockists,' he This consignment was bound for the firm's depot Other straws are in the wind. In 1968 Lucas added Simms Motors and Electronics Company Ltd to their empire. This gave them a virtual monopoly of the car pump market.

'Now they are phasing out our range of pumpsthey say there is no demand for them,' convenor Dave Martin told At Simms in Finchley production is being stepped up. We are just pawns in with «hin hio mann The workers' prompt action has. however temporarily halted this bid to decimate the plant and close Lucas CAV's last interests in the north-west.

"This came to a head said couple ago, Mr Martin. 'They went