NEWS OF THE WEEK T HE wage agreement which is alleged
to be the cause of the present strike of manual workers at London power stations was concluded on May 31st, 1949. Its effect was to give an increase of If d. an hour to certain electricity workers. Those who were already enjoying un- covenanted benefits, in the shape of extra allowances for which they gave no extra service (and there were such in the industry) were not to get the new increase. In other words, the first class of men gained something and the second class lost nothing. The agreement was, therefore, a gain for the electricity workers— and that at a time when the Government and the T.U.C. were advo- cating wage restraint. Yet in July there were murmurs from the men who had not received the new increase. These complaints may have been based on ignorance. At that time of hot weather and long hours of daylight the complaints were not pressed. This week, at a time of cold weather and long hours of darkness, they were pressed. The status of the claim is almost exactly the same as it was in July. It has no justification and it is not supported by the unions. The only changes are that in the meantime the need for wage restraint has become even more insistent and more widely recognised. There may also be some significance in the fact that the Communists, who were busy last July causing the havoc of the London dock strike, have in recent months found it difficult to obtain a suitable outlet for their " organising " abilities. Now the chance has come. In July the catch-phrase was " black ships " ; now it is " black juice." But this time there is no reason to believe that there will be mistakes by the Government. The service men were put into the power stations without hesitation. There must be no hesitation about increasing their numbers, if that should be required, and in taking all other necessary measures to scotch this blatant industrial sabotage. And if these measures include putting pressure on the unions concerned to bring to a close an internal dispute based primarily on a misunderstanding, that must be done, too. *In cases like this the public interest takes precedence over the susceptibilities of trade union officials.
