LABOUR TROUBLES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 152, 9 April 1941, Page 3

LABOUR TROUBLES

MENACE TO AMERICAN STEEL.

NsEED FOR LEGISLATION. Press Asspciatjon—Copyright. NEW YORE, April 7. The “New York Journal of Commerce” says that the strike against the United. States steel industry is expected ,tp foifce the Administration to abai)do.n. its “hands off” attitude toward Iftboyr. -Even if 'a United States steel* Strike is averted, the vital need for maintaining operations in. the defence 'industries while negotiations over wages and conditions are ironed out is forcing Administration officials who are friendly toward labour to favour some cooling-off period. The threat against United States steel has shaken the hitherto complacent officials.

While cooling-off legislation may be thp first step toward drastic action on strikes the continued spread of disputes is likely to cause the Administration to look, with favour on some form of' compulsory arbitration. Many business executives who have vigorously opposed compulsory arbitration are now willing to accept some limited form of arbitration because of their concern ’ over the menace to the defence programme. Mrs Roosevelt, wife of the President, to-day told a press conference that she had received numerous letters from mothers of soldiers, sailors and trainees demanding a prohibition against.strikes in defence industries. Her answer was that people should not make snap or one-sided judgments. Hope for democracy was pretty slim if groups could not be found who were able to see both sides of the situation. When asked if she felt that strikes caused general antagonism to Labour, she replied : “I suppose there is a general feeling that defence must not bo held up. The question is not one-sided and it must Ije cleared up so that defence production is not delayed. The question is, what is Labour’s fair share of the increased income? This should be subject to mediation with the entire situation considered. It is riot entirely true that all corporations’ defence profits- will be paid out in taxes. The National Labour Relations Board has ordered that elections be held within 45 days giving employees of the Ford Motor Company plants in Dearborn and Detroit an opportunity of selecting bargaining agents. Anti-strike legislation was discussed before the Military Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives in Washingon to-day. The Secretary ol Labour (Miss Frances Perkins) *■ said she was opposed to the legislation.

IMMEDIATE STRIKE AVERTED.

EXTENSION OF NEGOTIATIONS. N£W YORK; April 7. A report from Pittsburg states that the United States Steel and Steel Workers’ Organising Committee of the Congress of Industrial Organisations agreed to-day to a second extension of the negotiations on wage contracts until Tuesday, April 15, thereby averting a strike of 250,000 employees, previously threatened' to begin at midnight to-morrow. The 76-day strike in the Allis-Ghalm-ers works at Milwaukee has been called off. AVork will resume to-morrow on important defence orders. . .*