No firm reply on power claim - whipping boy' fears in public service Pay delay anger mounts

POWER INDUSTRY employers yesterday refused to come forward with any reply to the unions' £5.50 pay claim until after the government-CBITUC meeting on October 26.

Today the local authorities are expected to follow suit. Union negotiators in this section of industry are seeking £4-a-week increases.

At an urgent meeting with Tory Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher yesterday teachers' leaders voiced suspicions that the government proposed to use the public services as the 'whipping boys' of a prices and incomes policy.

The power-station engineers have already given just a small indication of the unrest this is causing with their decision to stage the first of a series of one-day strikes on October 26. Backing for the Tory policy came yesterday from "The Times.

The paper welcomed the TUC leaders' acceptance of the principle of state control over wages.

"The outcome of Monday's talks at Chequers between the government, the TUC and the CBI make an agreement on a voluntary pay and prices policy look more likely than it did', said an editorial statement.

But it went on to reflect ruling-class fear that the TUC cannot deliver real control over settlements-and ruling-class preparation for other measures.

It is already apparent that the TUC cannot itself be the mechanism for applying the pay element in the deal', "The Times' says.

'If it tried it would destroy itself. Its influence and acquiescence is invaluable; but the moment it and so loses its occupation, ceases to be a tribune For the union leaders to engage in the talks at all is a betrayal. But for them to continue with them, under conditions where the ruling class openly and cynically weighs the value of possible different forms of the betrayal adds insult to injury.

The talks must immediately be broken off and an alternative revolutionary leadership built.

This is the task before Sunday's All Trades Unions Alliance conference in Birmingham. • THE POWER WORKERS' union yesterday broke off talks on their wage claim 'until the employers are free to negotiate. The union side is to report to their various executives with a recommendation that the claim be backed up by industrial action to achieve a realistic settlement'. The union negotiating side is to meet again on October 27.

Jack Biggin of the General and Municipal Workers' Union told Workers' Press: "The fact that the TUC is involved in talks with the government is a matter for he General Council. not for us.' Bob Wright, of the engineers, said an imposed freeze was 'intolerable'. NATIANAT NAIVIAL cials arrive Thornvcroft Basingstoke, Hants, this morning to try and get the engineers to lift their ten-week occupation of the factory.

It is thought they will be led by Bill John, Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers' executive councilman.

Most men sitting-in at the heavy gear-box factaru wAnA annaced to cras ATAA nondis 947 omcials coming Lobbying_electricians push posters in front of unlon president/secretary Frank Chapple as he enters yesterday's pay talks at Millbank Tower, London. Thornycroft sit-in meets officials plant in Truck backingputoff THE THREAT of a strike throughout the BritishLeyland bus and truck division in support of workers occupying the combine's Basingstoke plant was lifted temporarily yesterday.

Shop stewards from all the factories in Leyland's heavy vehicle division agreed at Preston to postpone any action pending the outcome of talks at Basingstoke today.

These will involve leaders of the workers occupying the combine's gearbox subsidiary Thornycroft and national union officials who will be seeking to end the dispute on the basis of Leyland's latest offer.

SMANALYI • HAROLD SPEAR, industrial relations member of the Electricity Council, said after a twoand-a-half-hour meeting with the unions that there was 'not a hance' of their meeting the claim for a five-hour reduction in the working week.

The council felt that nothing should be done to prejudice the talks between the government and the TUC, he said.

Be chin try set, bonn SW4 7UG.

Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), 180b Clapham High Street, London, SWA JUG. the only reason for their aDDearance is to try and end their fight.

Union officials—who gave an undertaking to British-Leyland at York last week that they would obtain a meeting —have, however, exerted pressure on the occupation committee to call another meeting.

They are thought to have been angered by the result of last Sunday's meeting which that could mean abso York deal.

doricivelv reierted the MOTIONTAIJ York proposals.

The proposals themselves are worth about as much as the two pages they • are written on. Eaton's the buyers, will take over the factory from next January.

And British-Leyland has only undertaken to supply Eaton's with three years' work 'subject to market conditions'. The way Leyland is zoing at the moment.

After this meeting shop stewards will make a recommendation to a mass meeting of After yesterday's meeting, Len Smart, spokesman for the occupying committee, said:

'Leyland have certainly taken some steps forward. Before last week there had been no real reaction from them.' Mr Smart was referring to the guarantees from Leyland to supply the Thornycroft factorywhich is being hived off to Eaton's, an American firm-with enough work for 740 until 1976.

Mr Smart said the Thornycroft stewards were still sticking to their original three demands. These were that Leyland would have to unscramble a f2÷m Eaton deal, keep Thornycroft within the combine and ofier over 1,000 jobs to match the number of workers originally employed at the plant.

'It may be that the will convince us this is impossible,' said Mr Smart.

He agreed that major obstacle was the demand to retain Thornycroft within the British-Leyland combine.

He said it would be a question of accepting the existing offer, rejecting "skeleton, it or accepting it as a around which flesh could be filled'.

Speaking for the BritishLeyland shop stewards' commercial committee, Mr Len Brindle said strike action was still a possibility.

'Our meeting stands adjourned until the outcome of tomorrow's talks,' he said. Further industrial action would depend on the attitude of the Thornycroft men Inte disaster.

Eaton's themselves, tm than atato staltment after the York meeting, only undertook to 'give full consideration to Basingstoke as a possible manufacturing location for the potential new products'. Earlier this week occupation committee leaders remained confident that today's meetine would throw out the HAZARDS for the British car industry of entry into the Common Market were pinpointed yesterday by Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar cars.

Opening the Motor Show at Earls Court, Lyons put a heavy damper on the previous day's extravagant public relations from Lord Stokes, head of Jaguar's parent company British-Leyland.

Stokes hit out vehemently at any suggestion that Market entry will be other than an unparalleled boost for Leyland's fortunes. He announced a bumper year for new British-Leyland models' in 1973.

Lyons, however, said there would be no easy benefits from entry.

From the engineering point of view the British industry was well placed, he said. But the 'disappointing low rate of growth, low level of capital investment, the appalling industrial relations' would, if continued, make it ill-equipped to meet European competition.

to any new deal.

He expressed the concern growing throughout the Leyland combine over redundancies.

'We are extremely worried and are looking on the Thornycroft issue as being an indication of further developments,' he said.

'Our position is that we are completely opposed to the hiving off of any BLMC plant.' Convenors from other plants in the heavy vehicle division will go to Basingstoke tomorrow in a personal capacity to observe developments. KEDU Press