Once again the forces of tho unions are massing, with demands ; a . a Z V nc fo a wage increases, Last Thursday, the Sarees of 65,000 ioakewaa ai ¢lain to "a substantial incroase." On tho same day two of the three major railway unions mot and decidod to invite the thira to sub it with thom, a joint claim for 449,000 workers. Tho Confed., in which ’ three million engincoring workors are joined, is locked in heme tiationn ll gh eae ae ee steel, tho post office, and tho oloctricity
ndustrios, strike threat a j i i panies csc me gh ee — are alroady poised in support of claims
Our roaders will know where they stand on these natters, and know what to do about thom. We shall not be unduly impressed with tho talk, echoed from the Times, to the Financial Timos, to, unfortunatoly, the New Statesman that those actions may cost Labour votes, If there is any prospect of a fall in the Labour vote because strikes are unpopular, which is in doubt, (not because strikes aro popular, they are too pain~ ful to those who have to tako part in thom to be popular, but because the electorate at large suffers more from Toryism than it does from strikes) f there is such a prospect, then Labour's arswer should be clears By announcing that tho now Governmont will legislate for a general 40-hour weok without loss of pay it will stop some of the strikes and collect an clectoral bonus running into milliors of votes.
In tho meantime, as wo go to pross, the grand council of the Federation of British Industries is meoting to decide on a policy of. pricos rostraint., For several weeks an economic study group of the FBI has been working to find a systom by which to opsrate profits restraint. This obligation is imposod on them both by commitments made to NEDC and tho immodiacy of a Labour Govermmont. Iut tho control of profits is not so oasy as all that, as oven the introduction of face~ saving schomes of sclf-discipline accoptrblo to tho FB. will show.
In this connection the Labour movement has a time-honoured answers’ effective control of profits can only be workors! control. Tho demand” of the Labour Party Conferenco for "a botter systom of popular administration of industrial onterprises by involving the staff of thoso concerns more directly in their administration" could, in fact, be harnessed to a real incomes policy in which tho trade unions would bo able to collaborate without foar of being trapped.
By opening their books to the workers! roprescntativos the omployers could remove many suspicions which linger in our minds, If the FBI is reluctant to meet us in this matter, thon the TUC should make it the price of participation in any incomes policy. Only if this is dono will the unions remain free agents, in the period which we are about to enter. Above all, the unions! attitude towards an incomes policy will be determined by the policy pursued by the Labour Government. If it conducts itself so as to make bigger and biggor inroads into the capitalist sector, thus proving that it is serious about applying clause four, union participasion in an incomes policy will be possible, If, on the other hand, the Labour Govermaont morely tries to make Dritish capitalism more efficient and rational, then unions will be duty-bound to defend their members! intorests.
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