Falklands 40: Headlines from The News on April 21, 1982

Dockyard workers stunned over redundancy ‘freeze’

Redundancy notices for Portsmouth Dockyard workers have been frozen - for the time being.

The surprise announcement was made today by junior defence minister Peter Blaker.

He said: ‘There will be no more redundancies in Portsmouth Dockyard for the time being.’

The statement took dockyard officials by surprise.

One said: ‘I know of no plans to change the rundown arrangements, which involve the issue of more redundancy notices at the end of this month.’

Only three weeks ago, the first 180 redundancy notices were issued to dockyard workers. Some of the men were involved in round-the-clock work to get the Falklands task force ships ready for sea.

The surprise news was given to Gosport MP Peter Viggers, who was leading a deputation of local trade unionists from naval shore bases to London today.

The news follows close on the heels of a Portsmouth and Gosport civic deputation to see Mr Blaker yesterday.

Yesterday’s delegation told Mr Blaker that the run-down of the dockyard should be frozen to cope with the volume of work on ships returning from the Falklands operation.

A Ministry of Defence statement issues from Mr Blaker’s office said: ‘The minister said he did not expect there would be any issue of redundancy notices in the Naval Base in the immediate future.’

Response is pouring in from far and wide to The News ‘Keep the Fleet’ campaign.

Since yesterday, we have received a further 8,806 signatures, bringing the total petition to 45,389 so far.

Argentine crew is deported

Three Argentinians have been deported from Britain - a week after they arrived in Portsmouth at the end of the Round the World Yacht Race.

The men had been detained on board their boat at Gosport by Home Office officials. They were told yesterday they had to leave the country by midnight.

Dr Marco Morosini was a member of the Italian yacht, La Barca Laboratorio, which the Argentinians had crewed.

‘They were worried about coming to Britain when they heard of the invasion in the Falklands,’ said Dr. Morosini.

The Argentinians had joined the research vessel for the final leg of the race at Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Pym will put British view forward

Senior Ministers were today drawing up Britain’s counter-proposals to the Argentinian package for a peaceful settlement to the Falkland Islands crisis.

Foreign secretary Francis Pym will take the plans with him to Washington tomorrow, when he will meet the US secretary of state who has been acting as a mediator in the dispute.

Meanwhile, the naval task-force is steaming towards the South Atlantic amid speculation that a destroyer group may attempt to recapture the remote islands of South Georgia.

The Ministry of Defence today refused to comment on reports that several ships had broken away from the main fleet.

In other news: Stamps mark maritime year

A set of five stamps, to go on sale at Post Offices on June 16, has the theme - in Maritime England Year - Britain’s close contact with the sea through the ages.

The stamps were designed by Marjorie Saynor, and show Henry VIII and Mary Rose (due to be raised from the sea bed later this year), Admiral Blake and Triumph, Lord Nelson and Victory, Lord Fisher and HMS Dreadnought, and Viscount Cunningham and HMS Warspite.

The stamps go on sale at Post Offices on June 16.