Five unions catering for technicians - DeA.TeAey AsSeSeEoTey Ae Se Wy the cine-technicians and the technical civil servants = have countered Mr. Brown's declaration of intent with their own declaration of dissent. At a press conference on jugust 17th, Mr. George Doughty, D.A.T.A's general secretary, said industry should be controlled by people who plan expansion not restriction. He went on to describe 1965 as "the year of the technician's revolt."
A.S.SeEeTe'S general secretary, Mr. Clive Jenkins, complained that for too long British big business has had skilled labour on the cheape The unions demanded a high wages, high salaries economy. An incomes policy based upon a lew norm would keep Britain old-fashioned, The present policy was wrong and would not last. Mr, Tony Carter, the technical civil servants! assistmt secretary, said that the Government should give a lead. Before the election the Labour Party had had a lot to say about the social status of technicians, it was essential that this be expressed in terms of moneys
The declaration says that the problems of an incomes policy cannot be separated from the wider problems of the British economys that more effective planning, redistribution of wealth and income and a reduction in military expenditure are all needed. Skill and qualifications are underrewarded and the problem is how to persuade Britain's backward employers of this fact.