Building from many parts of the country have expressed their anger at the terms of the settlement arrived at last Tuesday, The terms are only slightly better than those they were offered before the strike, The employars originally offered a threo-year contract which gave craftamnen 33d an hour this November, 2d in 1964 end 3d in 1965. The corresponding figures for labourers wero ld, 144 and 14d, These increases would have amounted to an extra 84a (or 12.3%) for craftsmen and 4d (6.5%) for labourers, Under the settlement, craftsmen will recoive 4d this November (5.7%), 34 in Nov. 1964 (4.1%) and 234 in Nov., 1965 (3° ¥6). The corresponding increases for labourers are 24 (3.2%), 2a (3.1%) and ld (1.5%). Under the original offer the 41-hr, wock would have been given in March, 1965, it will now come into force in November, 1964, tut there will be no compensation for the hour lest.
The settlement contains some very bad features; it widens the differential between craftsmen and labourers — in fact ths increase given to labourers will be less than Nicky's 33%, The agreement also suggests that future wags claims may be linked to an increase in national productivity. Thus, if national productivity declines owing to goverment policy or because of trade conditions, the workers will have to suffer. All this represents a victory for the policies of tho National Incomes Commission - tut the workers have not taken this lying down.
At a meeting at the Thite Swan, Farringdon Rd., on the day following tho settlement, the London Building Stewards Committee issued a call for site mestings, token stoppages, and deputations to the N.F.B,T.0., the unions and the employers, The meeting also went on record for a token four— hour stoppage end asked union leaders to convene a mass protest meeting. The Committee is issuing a leaflet calling on all building workers to "stand firm on our 3 demands: 1/5d an hour (increase), ea 40-hr week and no widening of the differentials." On Friday, a meeting of the London Regional Council of the N.F.3B.T.0, “daplored the haste with which tho agreement was reached." Tho Council also wants a protest meeting to be organised. The same dry, the London tuilding stewards decided to hold a mass lobby at the T.U.¢, in Trighton next Wednesday.
A deputation of 10 from tho Grosvenor Square Token site wont on Thurs— day to various union offices to demand repudiation of the agreement. They also urged that the negotiating committee which accepted the settlement should resign. 220 workers at the Hill Street Direct Yorks site stopped work for an hour on Friday and called for a meeting of joint executives to raject the settloment. Over 400 workers at the West London Air Terminal Cubitt's site have expressed their disgust at the settlement. A meating of mere than 350 on the Downing Street site voted for the rejection of the agreement and elected a dolegation of 13 to go to the N.F.B.T.O. headquarters, Over 150 workers at tho Glyndon Road site, Yoolwich, made a similar protest, The Battersea branch of ae Piunbing Trades Union passed a vote of no-confidence in their executive for accepting the agreement.
In Manchester, on Yednesday, some 200 tuilding workers on the abbatoir site downed tools and marched to the local offices of the N.F.3.T.0., and workers from lmilding situs throughout Manéhestor are to travel to Brighton on Wednesday to take part in the lobby, Merseyside site stowards sent a resolution to the N.F.B.T.0,. headquarters which declared that the settlement "will de more to destroy the organisation in the building industry than any other single act in our history." In Swanaoa, also on Wednesday, 200 mild ing workers downed tools two hours carly and marched to the local N.F,3B.T.O. offices, A special mesting of South Wales' organisers of tmilding unions voted on Friday against ratification, More than 10 tuilding sites in South Wales have sent telegrams demanding rejoction of the agrcesent. Tolograns and protest resolutions have boen sent from Darlington, Macclesfield, Corby, Liverpool, Port Talbct, Cardiff, Neath, the Teeside, etc., otc.