20 YEARS' LEEWAY MADE DP IN A NIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 142, 17 June 1936, Page 7

20 YEARS' LEEWAY MADE DP IN A NIGHT.

FRENCH LABOUR. Trade Union Membership's Sudden Rise. COST OF STRIKE BILLS. United Press Association. —Copyright. (Received 1.30 p.m.) PARIS, June 10. The Senate has begun the debate on M. Blum's strike bills, which are estimated to entail expenditure of £15,600,000 a year. M. Jouhaux, general secretary of the Trade Union Council, declares that French Labour made up 20 years' leeway in one night, namely, on June 7. Union membership is now 2,000,000. The collective agreement affects 7,000,000 wage-earners, of whom 80 per cent were previously ignorant of union organisation. This is necessitating extensive tutelage. About 32,000 of 50,000 strikers still idle in Paris occupy department stores and one-price shops. Employees of insurance companies, perfumiei's and leather goods houses are expected to resume to-morrow. The trouble, however, is extending to Brittany. Sixteen vessels are held up in the harbour at Nantes, where 15,000 ceased work. Department stores have closed, and the building industry is at a standstill. Petrol refineries stopped work. Department store and slaughterhouse workers in Lyons are still idle.

Algiers farmers are appealing for protection against bands of Arabs roaming the countryside and forcing the labourers to cease work. They are damaging farms and live stock. Many of these agitators have been arrested.