per cent in West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, as against 3.2 pe cent in the UK. This may not scem a big difference, but tbe cumulative effect over nearl 20 years is substantial. Fron the beginning of the period ti the end, manufacturing outpul per worker increased by just over three-quarters in the UK compared with nearly one and a half times in the other five countries.
Furthermore, because of low productivity growtb, unit labour costs (growth of money wages divided by growth in output) have risen much faster in the UK. Between 1964 and 1974 unit labour costs in manufacturing industry grew at an average annual rate of 2.7 per cent in the USA, 4.7 per cent in France, 5,5 percent in West 5.8 per cent in Jpan, 6.2 per cent in Italy, and 7.1 percent in the Ok. And because of low productivity growth, in the decade or so to 1973, real earnings per bead in manufacturing industry in every comparable country (except the USA) grew al at Icast twice the rate nchieved in the UK.
STRONG PRESSURE So what then are the prospects for 19787 First of all there will be strong pressure to keep wage increases as low as SOCIALIST UNITY STEERING COMMITTEE Sunday, 15 January, at noon Venue: please note change (nearest tube: Angel or Highbury and Islington)
-The interests of worker and capita SAMEET MARCUSER TRIA POSTI