After the oil shock, the NUM renewed its claim for a substantial wage increase, a claim which broke government pay guidelines, and then began industrial action in the form of an overtime ban in support of the claim. The sudden shortage of coal in the middle of the winter forced the Government to announce a 'three-day week' of restrictions of electricity by industry. Adamson deplored the move but regarded it as the lesser of two evils because industry might not be able to operate at all.Paul Routledge, "CBI wants more talks with the unions", The Times, 22 December 1973, p. 15. Adamson supported the Government's refusal to concede the miners' pay claim because of concerns that other wage claims would follow, although he conceded that it could be supported if there was a watertight guarantee that other unions would settle within the limits.Peter Hill and Malcolm Brown, "CBI tells of moves to help industry meet 3-day week cash problems", The Times, 12 January 1974, p. 17.
