from John Leonard,
TGWU Industrial Charter calls for Workers'Control. A further step has been taken in the campaign for workers’ control in the publication of the 1966 report of the TGWU which is to be presented to their biennial conference in Blackpool next month, One of the seven proposals for major industrial change to be presented to employers and the Government emphasises the importance of democratic election of workers! represéntatives; it reads as follows.
The extension of industrial democracy based initially on new negot-
iating procedures but including the election of direct workers!
representatives on many managerial bodies. Lighthousemen Penalised for NOT Striking, When the seamen went on strike Trinity House promised to pay the lighthouse keepers and lightship men similar increases to those obtained by the seamen, provided the lighthouse keepers did not join the strike. Last January, after a joint overture from Trinity House, the TGWU and the NUS, the Government agreed that the men should get a 5% increase in July, backdated to January 2. The lighthouse men claimed they were entitled to the increase as from July, 1966 = the same date as the seamen's increase operated from. Ray Gunter, Minister of Labour, has acknowledged that. “an assurance was given in May,1966, that any improvement in the wages structure arising from current negotiations on seamen would be implemented by Trinity House." But because of the prices and incomes policy this could not be done. Jack Jones, TGWU assistant secretary, said last week: "This treatment is taking advantage of the loyalty of the men, many of whom are ex-seamen, who would not put their comrades at sea at hazard by striking." A sub-committee of union officials has been set up to pursue the matter. Support the Blind Workers Demonstration: J 8 The National League of the Blind is taking increasingly militant action against employers "for their unilateral decision" to break the practice of paying blind workshop workers on a scale of pay linked to sighted workers, It wants this "link" restored and retrospective payment paid. All the branches of the blind throughout Britain are organising a demonstration for Saturday, July 8 at 2.30 in TRAFALGAR SQUARE, Join the demonstration and send messages of solidarity to: National League of Blind, 262, Langham Rd., LONDON,N.15. Watch BBC-1, July 5th. Watch BBC-1, J th, Watch BBC-1 July5th. Wednesday Play is a repeat of Jim Allen's brilliant play about a militant puilding worker: "THE LUMP!