Three main areas of crisis have emerged in the application of freeze measures to Scotland. Most notoriously, the massive cut-back in production by B.M.C. throughout Britain has led from complete short-time working at their Bathzate factory to the planned dismissal of 850 employees on October 7th, a cut of approximately 20% in the labour force. This was announced the day after Douglas Jay had promised the local MP, Tam Dayell, that the BMC plants in Scotland and Wales would suffer less severely than those in the "nglish midlands where the general employment situation was more favourable. and that the employees at the Vest Lothian factory would not be faced with a serious threat of unemployment during. the winter,. The-management has been totally adamant in refusing to hear of any plan for work-sharing, and little support was found for strike action to back such a demand,- When and if the situation improves it may be found imposs ible. to recover the skilled labour about to be lost. At Rootes of Linwood where reeundancies are also in the offing, the management's attitude on worksharing plans has been more cooperative, and this may not be unconnected with the fact that strike action was a likely outcome. In the Clydeside shipyards the government has refused to allow the implementation of a productivity pact that was highly popular with both sides of the industry and was already applied in one yard. According to press reports, Wilson personally decided on the rejection against Gunter's advice. Dan McGarvey, the Boilermakers' president, warned that he would not be responsible for his members’ actions. The methods by which Edinburgh Corporation Transport Committee decided to reject the pay avard for transport staff recall the practices of medieval bishops' councils. Six 'Progressive'(Tory) and one Independent member began the meeting at precis¢ly 2p.m., and raced through Wsiness before the Labour mem bers arrived four minutes later.
to According/ the NCB annual reoort, the mining industry in Scotland over the past year has continued to decline in terms of everything except productivity. Sales, output and manpower all decreased, and the number of collieries was reduced by ll. Ironically, the lack of confidence produced by the rundown of the industry has brought about a "runaway" of manpower suc’? that there is insufficient even to staff the pits still in operation. The Scottish NCB is now having to organise a recruiting campaign. The organisational chaos and lack of long-term planning in the Scottish road network has been severely condemned by the Scottish regional controller of the AA who warned that without a proper national plan and vastly increased experditure, the system was headed for disaster. A more encouraging feature was the opening of the big new pulp and paper mill near fort Villian, a long-awaited stimulus for the Highland economy. It is interesting to note that the Vest Highland Nailway is one of the key transport routes for this enterprise, This line was originally due for Beeching closure and was reprieved because of the mill. How many more projects will mMever see the light of day because potential transport facilities have been thus destroyed is a matter for conjecture. It was perhaps unfortunate for the Secretary of State, ‘Yilliam Ross that immediately prior to the BMC developments he had been telling Udinburgh Labour Party members that Scotland had been sheltered from the full pressure of the squeeze. Later he asserted to representatives of the licenced trade that there was little need to worry about the effect of the Selective Mmployments Tax on the Scottish hotel and tourist industry, as the restrictions on holiday spending abroad would bring more trade in this direction. No doubt a further contribution to integrated regional planning.