SCMU president lashes Mr.
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Wilson lauds Mrs. Castle
MPS are not tame poodles and should refuse to jump through Mr. Wilson's hoops, threats or no threats, the Scottish Commercial Motormen's Union was told by its president, Mr. John Lowry, a Glasgow driver, at their Inverness conference.
The Prime Minister was bluntly reminded that he was a mere mortal—and warned that the Labour Government was going to come a cropper on incomes policy.
Mr. Lowry shook his colleagues with his comments delivered in terms seldom used by a trade union boss to a top politician.
"A Government should govern and a Prime Minister should lead, but they are not gods delivering their infallible judgments from on high. It's ours to reason why, and disagree and act upon that disagreement."
But Mr. Lowry had honeyed words for Mrs. Barbara Castle—he described her as "Princess Charming"—who will be meeting the union executive when she visits Scotland in June.
"Who will deny that in the relatively short time she has been in office she has tackled the problems of transport in Britain with tremendous gusto," he said. "It is to Barbara Castle's credit that not only has she been ready to listen to the men who work in the industry, and who represent them in the trade unions, but she has often been ready to act upon their advice."
Dealing with the Government's incomes policy, Mr Lowry said: "Let's not mince words. It is intervention on the side of the employer."
Militantly he added: "This union is in business to win improvements in pay and conditions for Scotland's commercial motor drivers. We refuse to put these aims in cold storage just because Mr. Wilson and his Government say so from their top people's view of the economy."