Chapter 1520 Strike Negotiations

“Contact the High Commissioners everywhere to recruit truckers within the Commonwealth, and not to paralyze the lines of communication in the country while the negotiations are going on. Make special arrangements to give visa-free passports to all truckers coming to the mainland.” Alan Wilson gave the order through the Foreign Office and then rushed to the negotiation site.

Almost immediately, Kuala Lumpur International Airport was overcrowded, and even for a short job, the colonial government had promised to treat them no differently than on the mainland, as well as reimbursement of round-trip travel expenses.

While announcing to the public the start of negotiations with the trade unions, Whitehall openly blamed the striking workers for the strike, which would have an indelible impact on the British economy, with a supply chain crisis caused by the paralysis of transportation leading to inflation at a high level this year, a responsibility that was undoubtedly the result of the workers’ overly harsh demands.

Transportation and general workers union *** jack jones, has been waiting at the negotiation site, but the first thing that appeared was the bbc live broadcast, allen wilson undoubtedly gave the trade union great courtesy, to know that this is the treatment of the house of commons, from beginning to end of the live broadcast, if jack jones this trade union leader performs well, must be in the United Kingdom will be famous.

Alan Wilson with, Commonwealth Foundation Chairman, Prosperity Foundation Chairman Burke Trench, John Hunt, Cabinet Deputy Secretary General Armstrong, Treasury Permanent Under Secretary Frank, left Whitehall to arrive at the negotiation site, this time Whitehall can be said to be a nest of people, to express this has caused the British transportation paralyzed strike importance.

There is no doubt that the people attending are the head of Whitehall, casually take out one can be called a high-powered, the Soviet Union to fight over, have to pick a striking street lamp hanging up.

In the bbc live witness, Alan Wilson after the first, sat directly in front of Jack Jones, on the left hand side is the chairman of the UK’s two major foundations, on the right hand side of Whitehall’s No. 2 and Treasury No. 1, tugged the collar and opened his mouth, “So, let’s get started.”

“About this truckers’ strike.” Jack Jones cleared his throat and began to elaborate on the reasonable and legitimate demands of the truckers, mentioning the importance to the country.

“When will driving a truck have taken on an irreplaceable role.” Alan Wilson dragged his chin and leaned his body forward, “Jack, why exaggerate the role of any one group. The world is very real, every group is replaceable, there are no union times, only union times. In the post-war period when all industries were dying and citizens endured the pains of war, the fact that unions had their own role to play in safeguarding the interests of workers at that time doesn’t mean that it’s right to force the government to accede to unreasonable demands now without any bottom line.”

The Cabinet Secretary’s subdued ugly face has also made its way into thousands of homes via live broadcasts on the bbc, with Jack Jones emphasizing the reasonable demands of the truckers and Alan Wilson arguing that the demands are unreasonable, and even arguing that this strike has kidnapped the whole of the UK and made life inconvenient for all citizens.

Statistics are supposed to be a minuscule part of Whitehall’s work, and this was certainly not a problem for Alan Wilson, who came straight out with an assessment of the damage caused by this strike.

“The most outrageous thing is that the striking workers are still attacking the tanker drivers who have been standing firm at their posts, causing them to receive damage to their lives and property, you trade unions, you didn’t learn a single good thing in the USSR, and you’ve learned that an absolute disloyalty of loyalty is an absolute disloyalty in a very comprehensive way.”

Alan Wilson coldly grunted, holding the statistics and reading from the book, “Refineries, gas stations paralyzed the responsibility to be borne by who? If the UK suffers an energy crisis, this is undoubtedly a major event comparable to the oil crisis, except that this time only the UK suffered losses, is the UK alone in the world? If production is interrupted, should we ask France and Germany to wait for us, not to take advantage of the interruption of production in the UK to seize the market?”

Eighty percent of Britain’s logistics rely on road transportation, and there are already shortages of food, medicine, and other essentials in some places, which were already facing a decade of unprecedented snow. There is also the need to go hungry in the middle of the cold, and this is 1979, not 1945.

Alan Wilson blamed the union-backed truckers’ strike for having single-handedly dragged Britain back to wartime, when at best the food was bad and basic supplies were still plentiful, but now it was man-made factors that had led to shortages in parts of the country, which were a bigger problem than in wartime.

This negotiation between Whitehall and the trade unions was broadcast live on the bbc into thousands of homes in the UK, and the tit-for-tat scenes between the two sides caused discussion among the citizens of the UK.

Among those watching this negotiation was also the current Conservative Party leader, Mrs. Thatcher, who watched the bbc broadcast from her own home, with her daughter, Carol Thatcher, accompanying her mother, “He’s the head of the UK’s civil service, ah.”

“Carol, you know him?” Mrs. Thatcher looked at her daughter with an inquiring gaze upon hearing this, listening to her own daughter, she seemed to know this man.

“I have met him a few times.” Carol Thatcher answered with some shyness and embarrassment, “He has been to the Quincewood School, and seems to be looking for the principal.”

“What was he doing at the girls’ school?” Mrs. Thatcher did not pay attention to her tone of voice had been close to screaming, and startled her own daughter, fortunately, the leader of the Conservative Party also immediately reacted, cleared his throat and taught, “Carol, he’s a person who is not as simple as it seems, many of the problems in the UK nowadays, quite a few of them are coming from Whitehall.”

Alan Wilson was focused on benefiting society, and naturally did not know that he was facing the slander of the leader of the Conservative Party, and fortunately, it was not only Mrs. Thatcher who was watching the live broadcast now.

Wives and ladies of equal status to their wives are watching with love and affection, accompanied by their children, as the man on the television shows the inviolability of the national bottom line in front of the trade union representatives.

Arnold happened to be home today, accompanying his own mother, who was actually not quite used to the idea of Pamela Mountbatten living in London in the winter, and then accompanying her as she watched her father speaking on television, “It seems that father is not prepared to compromise on this one, the union demands are really excessive this time.”

“It’s impossible not to compromise at all. Arnold, how much do you think your father can agree to.” Pamela Mountbatten looked at her son and inquired, satisfied with several of her children. The daughter was a bit worrisome, but both sons were fine.

“The union is asking for a forty percent raise when the previous limit was five percent. Those two standards are so far apart that it shouldn’t be realistic for the father to get no increase at all. Cutting it in half doesn’t seem like father’s style either.”

Arnold weighed in with a thoughtful look, it wasn’t comparing how much of a salary increase would be appropriate, it was to see how well he understood his father, “Cutting it in half for a twenty percent increase would be too much, I think father can accept one third of the increase in the salary requirement, that is, it’s going from forty percent of the increase in the salary requirement, to thirteen percent.”

“Pretty sure?” Pamela Mountbatten looked at her son approvingly, “How sure are you about that number?”

“If the negotiation was someone else, it would naturally be unsure. But since the negotiation is father, and I know father well, this figure is at least half possible.” Arnold replied unhurriedly, “Half is impossible, it might be an achievement for others, but a twenty percent salary increase is something father would definitely not be satisfied with. And to be honest, the striking truckers really did lionize this one, going straight from five percent to forty percent is too much.”

“It’s a very selfish act to satisfy one particular group of workers with a pay rise at the expense of hurting the entire British economy. Not to mention also attacking tanker drivers who continue to benefit society by not striking.”

Alan Wilson pounded the table accusingly, “Great Britain is committed to shaping a fair social environment, remember fairness is not equality. There are differences in individual ability, as if the world could not find exactly the same people, and it is true that some trades are underpaid, and we never deny that, and that is because that is all that can be given in the trade in which he is employed.”

“If today workers in one industry go on strike and we have to agree to a pay rise, and if we don’t you tie up the whole British economy, then I have to respond sternly on the matter. You will not be able to achieve your aims and confrontation may have consequences that no one wants to see. To this I continue to add that the siege of the tanker workers is a crime, and whatever the outcome of this negotiation, the criminals who harmed the tanker workers will surely be brought to justice.”

“Sir, you seem to see the workers as enemies of Britain.” Jack Jones implied a threat, “You must realize that they are all owned by Britain.”

“There is such a thing. But Britain’s masters, the group on strike this time can only represent a portion of it, and it’s still a not very easy figure to estimate just how big that portion is.” Alan Wilson replied slowly, “I have a matter to disclose now, it so happens that this negotiation is believed to be of great interest to the citizens, John ……”

John Hunter nodded, “Given that transportation on the mainland is currently at a de facto standstill, in order to immediately address the shortage of supplies in some areas. Commonwealth out of the perspective of help, on the issue of material difficulties to provide as much help as possible, the British Empire still has a number of ports in the hands of the British Empire, will be a group of truck drivers to come to the mainland to solve the problem of paralyzed traffic. They may come from Xiangjiang, Singapore, Perth and other places, because the supply chain inflation problem caused by the strike is believed to be alleviated to a certain extent.”

“Citizens affected by the strike are asked to be patient, the government is working on the issue.” Alan Wilson spoke after John Hunt’s statement Ou, “As for the strike issue, we will continue to be open to negotiation, but will never accept unreasonable demands.”