Q\N Saturday, February 6th, Oxfordshire’s farmworkers voted against the Government’s plans for an “incomes policy, despite a plea by the chairman of the Trades Union Congress, Lord Collison. At the annual conference of the National Union of Agricultural Workers in the County Hall, Oxford, they voted, by 11 votes to 9, to “call on the union to oppose any attempt to impose an incomes policy on the workers.” Mr. Jack Dunman, of Little Haseley branch, said everything that had been said about incomes policies seemed directed to secure control of wages. “When it comes to profits and prices, the measures are exceedingly vague and mild.” Nothing had been said about bringing up the wages of the lowest paid industries,
He thought the unions would
accept the policy but every one would
consider itself the exception which
deserved special treatment. ‘Can
you see the powerful unions standing
back and saying: ‘We don’t want
anything this year; it is the farm
workers who need it’ ?”
Lord Collison, who is also general
secretary of the N.U.A.W., said a
viable incomes policy is essential to
avoid inflationary pressures. What
the trade unions want is a situation
where a wage increase of 12/- would
really be worth 12/-, not 6/-.
“Of course the trade unions will
ask for more. It is their job.”
He denied nothing had been said
about “bringing up to equality” the
lower-paid workers. Much had been
said on this point by both the general
council of the T.U.C. and by the
Government.