Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-23
Million Strike
Key Industries
In Great Britain
Major WuIkout Sturts
As Railway Workers
Dispute Is Settled

LONDON. Mar. % (P).-A
strike of l million workers ir
Britain's key heavy industries
began officially at noon today.
Thousands of industrial work.
ers already had jumped the CUR
on the strike deadline by failing
to report for work last night.
The walkout started only q
few hours after settlement of q
railroad labor dispute and an
nouncement that a strike by
100000 shipyard workers may
soon be ended.
Unions representing the in.
dustrial workers plan a progress,
sive expansion of their walkout
to close 1890 plants employing
3 million men by April 6 unless
there is an intervening settle
ment of demands for a 10 per
cent pay increase. The indus
trial workers now get a $36.24
weekly average wage.
Major Industries Involved
The massive stoppage would
halt aircraft. electrical and
heavy engineering production,
all vital to Britain's export
program.
The harried British govern
ment hoped that negotiations
between employers and union
leaders in the shipyard strike
would quickly provide a wage
raise pattern for ending the
industrial stoppage.
The same group of unions rep
resentS the workers in the ship.
yards and in the industrial
plants. The shipyard strike be-
gan one week ago and has re-
suited in the closing of 20 yards
Under government pressure, the
two sides finally agreed yester-
day to face-to-face negotiations
These will begin on Monday
Meanwhile, the strike continues,
viii Handle United States Liners
Workers at Southampton docks
voted an almost complete end
to their strike today. Dock crews
will handle two American liners
the America due tonight and
the United States arriving to-
morrow. But they refused to aid
with the mooring of the Cunard
Liner Queen elizabeth due Mon
day from New York.
The decision was reached at a
stormy meeting of tug crews,
Triggers and 400 mooring men.
They struck Thursday after
the Cunard Liner Queen Mary
was taken out Of the harbor by
Navy tugs. They contended the
ship should not have been moved
because work en- overhauling the
vessel had not been completed
before the beginning of the ship
yard strike.
The effect of two resolutions
adopted at the meeting was that
all strikers will return to work
except those employed by John I.
Thornycroft. a rigging firm
which handles the mooring of
the Queen Elizabeth and Queen
Mary.
Settle for ) Per Cent
A possible clue to an accept
able compromise was provided
yesterday when the National IN
ion of Railwaymen, representing
$4,000 men, and the govern
ment commission which runs the
railroads agreed on a 5 per cent
wage increase. The railwaymen,
like the shipyard and industrial
workers, had demanded 10 per
cent wage boost.
The average weekly wage for
shipyard workers also is 1924.
Railway worker wages average
from $1,000 to $20.60 weekly.
The wage figures. however. are
not an accurate dollar COMPARE
son with United States wages
since the amounts go lot
farther because the lower cost of
living essentials in Britain.
Neither the shipyard nor the
industrial plant owners have SO
far made any counteroffer TO the
unions involved. After the I'M
ions agreed to discuss stimuli
taneously the removal of some
practices termed restrictive and
the question of costly interim
ion disputes in the industry.