- Power dispute of 1964
The power dispute of 1964 was an
industrial action byelectric power workers in theUnited Kingdom that raised fears ofpower cut s which were ultimately averted throughnegotiation with the employers.Unions representing 128,000 manual workers demanded:
*Reduction inworking time from a 42 to 40-hour week;
*An increase in annual paid holiday from two to three weeks;
*More long-service pay;
*Examination of pay rates forcraftsmen and their mates.— threatening an
overtime ban andwork-to-rule if the demands were not met. Their employers, represented by theElectricity Council , rejected the demands claiming that a three-year pay agreement had been put in place the previous year. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=11 February 1964 | page=6, col.G | title=Work-To-Rule Threat By Power Men - Demand For 40-Hour Week ] [ cite news | work=The Times | date=20 February 1964 | page=12, col.G | title=Power Dispute ]The unions involved were: [ cite news | work=The Times | date=23 March 1964 | page=7, col.A | title=Guide to Power Dispute - Many Interests Involved In The Struggle ]
*Amalgamated Engineering Union ;
*Electrical Trades Union ;
*National Union of Enginemen, Firemen, Mechanics and Electrical Workers ;
*National Union of General and Municipal Workers ; and
*Transport and General Workers Union .The unions were under pressure to settle from the Labour Party, and were called to talks at
Westminster with deputy party leader George Brown andshadow Chancellor James Callaghan who feared for the impact a dispute would have on the party's prospects in theUnited Kingdom general election, 1964 . Talks broke down on 19 March and it was feared that supply disruptions would follow the industrial action. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=20 March 1964 | page=14, col.A | title=Power Dispute Talks Break Down Overtime Ban On Monday, Union Delegation Walks Out Of Meeting ] Further talks on 25 March failed. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=26 March 1964 | page=14, col.A | title=Power Dispute Talks Break Down "Position Worse" After 4-Hour Meeting, Employers' Proposals Rejected ] There were parliamentary clashes between Labour Party leaderHarold Wilson andMinister of Labour Joseph Godber . [ cite news | work=The Times | date=28 March 1964 | page=8, col.F | title=Minister Accuses Mr. Wilson Of "Wrecking" Charge And Counter-Charge Over Power Crisis ]On 31 March, Godber appointed Lord Justice Pearson to chair a court of inquiry into the dispute. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=1 April 1964 | page=10, col.B | title=Lord Justice Pearson Inquiry Chairman ] The inquiry reported on 15 May and found fault on both sides. The employers had been guilty of "slowness and lack of vigour" in addressing the workers' concerns, while the workers had acted "too hastily" in breaking the three-year agreement which already included a mechanism for negotiation on "status proposals". However, the inquiry recognised that the workers felt "disappointed, frustrated and exasperated". Some felt that the report contained "more platitudes than recommendations" and it suggested no compromise, exhorting the parties to renewed efforts under the existing agreement. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=16 May 1964 | page=5, col.A | title=Both Sides To Blame In Power Dispute "Bury Past, Build For Future" Report Says ]
On 11 June, the employers conceded a pay rise that cost the industry an estimated £5 million annually (£64 million at 2003 prices [ cite journal | title=Consumer Price Inflation since 1750 | author=O‘Donoghue, J. "et al." | journal=Economic Trends | volume=604 | year=2004 | pages=38-46, March | url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?ID=726 ] ) in return for improvements in efficiency, and agreed to negotiate on the remaining issues. [ cite news | work=The Times | date=12 June 1964 | page=12, col.E | title=135,000 Power Workers To Get Pay Rise More Efficiency Promised, Cost May Be £5M ] Negotiations again broke down on 27 November and unions announces that industrial action would begin and that they would start
ballot ing for astrike . [ cite news | work=The Times | date=28 November 1964 | page=8, col.C | title=Power Dispute Talks Fail Strike Threat Draws Near, Union Ballot To START On Monday ]The dispute was called off on 30 November when the employers offered that excess hours worked would be compensated in cash if time-off "in lieu" was not taken within three months. The wage claim was arbitrated by the
Industrial Court . [ cite news | work=The Times | date=1 December 1964 | page=10, col.C | title=Power Stations Overtime Ban Called Off - Payments Claim Settled ]References
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