membership in
Britain is nearing the ten-million mark. Recent figures from the Ministry of Labour show that membership went up by 44,000 in 1963. Following the post-war trend, the rate of growth is highest in women workers; for each new T.U. man there are three new women. If this rate of progress continues, by Christmas, 1965, there will be ten million; latest figures show a_ total of 9;917,170, of whom 2,068,070. are women. Side by side with this increase in membership is the gradual dimunition of the number of individual unions. There were 596 at the end of 1963, a reduction of 21 during the year. 18 of the 596 claim over two-thirds of total membership. Details of union funds have also been published recently, Figures covering 90% of the membership show an increase of nearly {£5} million to a total of over £106 million, working out at £12 9s. 2d. per member. Contributions accounted for nearly £30} millions compared with only £4,329,000 from other sources. An average of £3 11s. 4d. in contributions was paid — 2s. 11d. more than in the previous year. Spending by the unions was also up: by 3s. 6d. to £3 8s. tod. per member on average. T&GWU warn members on Incomes Policy
R. BOB DAVIES, National Sec- L¥R retary of the General Workers’ Group of the T.G.W.U. has warned in the current number of the Union magazine of accepting the Declaration of Intent as a policy statement from the Union. He envisages a situation where pressure may be put on workers and shop stewards, through company magazines, notice boards and in pay packets. He advises members not to think that the declaration has been finally accepted by the Union — “the final document did not receive our unqualified support.” One major concern has already issued its own interpretation of the declaration, and this warning is to ensure that trade unionists can see the possibility of some employers making this tentative agreement into a tool of their own policies,
—from Bob Gregory
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