from a Scottish reader Fairfield's which has been described as an experiment designed to pioneer a new type of industrial relations, is having more trouble with unofficial strikes. On January 10, fifty crane drivers walked out in support of their demand for increased wages. The men are expected to return to work soone In November, Iain Stewart, chairman of the company, which jointly sponsored by Government, trade union and private finance, threatened that strike action could destroy the future of the yard. However, he made little of the crane drivers' strike, describing it as not very serious.
Ever since the new set-up took over, the management has stressed that it would only give wage increases in return for higher productivity. The boilermakers won a productivity payment last summer and the other trades are getting impatient with delays which are holding up their increases. A meeting on January 10 instead of dealing with money discussed "productivity", and this enraged the crane drivers, who went on strike. This is the second token strike by cranemen for a productivity increase the first was last summer when the boilermen got their payment. If the workers at Fairfields don't get something soon, the cranemen's action could snowball. It has been demonstrated that the despite the existence of trade union money in the firm workers still have to treat the manage~ ment in exactly the same way as they would a private concern,