Engineering White Collar Unions Say "no"

from a special correspondent Leaders of the lm. white-collar workers in the engineering industry have told the Ingineering Employers Federation that they have fundamental objections to the employers! plan for a national agreement on working conditions such as hours, overtime and holidays. Although the plan indicates that engineering employers are ready to give geater recognition to unions representing staff workers, the unions want better terms. The Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union has decided to reject the Federation's proposal that staff should have a normal working week of 38 hours with 24 days of holiday a year, but.that employees could increase the length of their holidays by working longer hours. The staff unions also want to prevent any national agreement from interfering with local negotiations. The Federation has indicated that no worker already enjoying more favourable terms than those contained in the plan would be expected to surrender them. But the unions fear that a national agreement might limit their power to improve their members' working conditions through plant bargaining.