British steel union leader urges OK of 15.5% raise

Bill Sirs, head of the steelworkers union, called Monday for an end to Britain's 13-week-old national steel strike after an independent inquiry recommended that workers receive a 15.5 percent raise. Mr. Sirs, of the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, said he would urge union negotiators to accept the figure. They are to make a decision Tuesday.

The wage offer is above the 14.4 percent pay offer from the state-owned British Steel Corporation but well below the union's 19.7 percent demand.