CAB128-94_A1b — Page 102

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3. THE PRIME MINISTER said that she hoped that in future, colleagues would use the home affairs item of the Cabinet agenda not only to report on events but to give early warning of politically significant developments in

prospect.

The Cabinet

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Took note.

ONFIDENTIAL

Industrial Action in the Docks and Local Government

Previous Reference:

CC(89) 26.2

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EMPLOYMENT said that there were increasing signs that the industrial action in former Dock Labour Soneng ports was crumbling. Thirty former Scheme ports were now working: more than 2,000 former registered dock workers had ceased to take strike action, and another 2,500 had accepted redundancy. In particular, there appeared to have been a significant return to work at Tilbury, one of the most militant ports, following firm action by the Port London Authority.

London Authority. Mass meetings of dock workers were due to be held at Bristol and Hull that day, and a Dock Workers) Delegate Conference of the Transport and General Borers Union was arranged for the following day. It was likely that a return to work at Southampton would depend the outcome of that conference.

Love

The position in local goverment was more serious. The National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO) was planning to ballot its members on a further four one- day strikes. In addition it planned indefinite strike action by its members in key areas such as finance, accountancy and computer bureaux. This could well adversely affect arrangements for the introduction of the community charge. Talks between the Union and the local authority employers were scheduled for the following Monday, when it was possible that the latter would increase their pay offer above 7 per cent. This would not be helpful in keeping down wage settlements and d have an adverse effect on pay negotiations concerning anence workers and local authority manual workers. It emerged essential, as part of the Government's counter-inflationary policy, that wage settlements should be scrutinised kept down as much as possible, although there were Knits to the influence which the Government could bring to on the local authority employers.

2

DENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL