Labour's NFC puzzle
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THE PROPOSED sale of National Freight Company shares to management and employees (CM, June 27) could leave the Labour Party on the horns of a new dilemma, writes ALAN MILLAR.
In common with the trades union movement, the Labour Party Conference has agreed as policy the taking into public ownership of all road haulage fleets of six and more vehicles, and the rertationalisation without compensation of any NFC assets which are sold off by the present Government.
But the possibility of those as sets passing to employees — and potential, if not committed Labour voters at that — rather than pension funds or competing road transport concerns probably did not cross Conference's mind. And the policy might quietly be buried, or amended, in the months ahead, especially in view of the unions' enthusiastic initial reaction to NFC's plans.
Certainly, Labour Party sources admit that the NEC move does raise an interesting set of issues for early consideration.
In the meantime, Shadow Transport Minister Albert Booth has had informal discussions about the proposal with NEC management and the trades unions, but he has not yet added to his initial reaction in the House of Commons.
At NFC headquarters in Bedford there is a mood of elation as employees welcome the planned buy-out, in advance of the issuing of a detailed prospectus in August.