British Industry The Ministry of Labour issued last week its
report for 1980, which it describes as an " outstandingly bad year "—that is no worse news (though -worse Englisl) that we have learnt to expect The Ministry tries to offer some negative comfort in the smallness of the increases of unemployment in the distributive trades (a.4%) and in building (5.8%), but in the iron, steel and textile trades there is no relief whatever from the gloom. The " drift " from the Northern heavy industries to the South of the Trent, where industry is of a different character, follows a process of adjustment • and is helpful. The relief of unemployment through emigration has • been nugatory. Meanwhile the coal-masters and miners have -shown more good will and good sense in agreeing to hold fresh -discussions. Both are rightly alarmed at -the approach of July when the end of present -arrange- ments may throw the industry into chaos again. The miners' officials have been stubborn so far in their refusals to recognize the districts and their insistance on national agreements. It is not only the masters but many of the miners too who would prefer to act in the unit of a district. There are hints of the Yorkshire and Midland districts reverting to some scheme for reviving export, which has languished badly of late. On -another point, namely the " spread-over," the Scottish and North Wales miners remain firm in their appreciation of their • liberty.
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