Bark and Bite
ONE thing has already emerged from the warm- ing-up in preparation for the industrial struggle in 1957: that the trade unions are not in as militant a frame of mind as they were expected to be. It was feared, and with reason, that they might try to take advantage of the Government's weakness by taking a tough line about wage in- creases in the nationalised industries; and that this example would automatically be followed by the unions dealing with private enterprise. But this week's wage settlement with the bus work.ers is reasonable; and the engineers' decision to call a two-day token strike suggests that they arc more concerned at the moment to bark than to bite. A foolish decision it may be, as that kind of strike cuts no ice in this country—it has too long a, record as a Communist tactic for that. But it is certainly preferable to a declaration' of war. The fact is that the staggering incompetence displayed by the Government in its handling of the fuel situation has, if anything, tended to bring em- ployer and worker together; for if the fuel situa- tion were to deteriorate further there would be a risk of general unemployment; and obviously a trade union executive's first duty to its members in NO circumstances is to provide for their defence in any emergency, rather than to contem- plate going over to the attack on wage claims— particularly if the attack might itself precipitate the emergency. It is too early yet to judge whether this moderation can be expected over the whole. field of industry; much depends on how the employers handle the claims. The present politi- cal tension is likely to remain, and increase; any- thing that tends to promote bitterness between management and labciur might, therefore, lead to rapid worsening of relations. But at the moment the prospects are brighter than they were two months ago.
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