LABOUR MATTERS

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16959, 7 October 1920, Page 7

LABOUR MATTERS

HOURS AND WAGES

(Br Cable—Press Association— (Australian and X.Z. CabiO Assoc.a - SYDNEY, October 6. The coal tribunal has awarded the coke-workers an increase of 3s per Mr Justice Higgins has concluded Ins , J enquiry into the question of a stnn ar j 44-hour week. Replying to the argu- ' ments that any loss of production wou be made good by the installation of mor*, 1 machinery and consequent increased em ; ployment* Mr Justice Higgins declared l that he would never bo a to an > arrangement which would add butue to the community ar.d the employers XV i yond the necessities of the moment. : , would not reduce hours on the ground | that, by so doing, he would bo creating more employment. , An Arbitration Court award at Perth reduces the hours in the clothing trade, from 48 to 44 per week, and raisas tno minimum wages from 30s to 4os. 'Hie seamen held a stop-work meeting. The deliberations were strictly secret, but it is understood that the sonmc will combine with the waterside workers to abolish the labour bureau on tno waterfront, and will _ also onpos© coloured labour in certain vessels.

BROKEN HILL MINES REOPENED. SYDNEY. October 6. The Council of the Miners' Federate considorod to-dav the question of a re sumption of work at tlio Broken ill I mines. , _ , Mr Smith, president of the Labourers Union a t Broken Hill, said he was glac to hear that the companies wer*.rosum ing work as soon as possible. Ipo mci were prepared to resume immediately. MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL. LONDON, October 5. The "Evening Standard" publishes ■ document brought from Lenini by bylvi; Pankhurst, giving the conditions upoj which revolutionary groups, formed ii Great Britain, will be admitted to tli Third International. Lenin urges tn communists to systematically remov the moderate loaders from all respon siblo positions in the Labour organisa tions and to replace, them with com munists. He urges systematic propn ganda in the Army and among tn rural workers, which, he says, is a mos vital condition of International moir bership. The Communist Party mus possess an iron discipline, even militar iin its severity. A few obscure con; munist groups in Ixmdon Birminghair i Glasgow, Liverpool, and Sheffield hav accepted Lenin's conditions. STRIKES IN SPAIN. ("The Timra.") MADRID, October 5. A bitter strike, accompanied by desperate hunger-rioting, exists in the mining districts, where 10,000 men . struck 15 weeks ago. I Alreadv 6000 have emigrated, mostly to America, by the aid of subscriptions. Each assisted emigrant has undertaken to work unremittingly until he has forwarded sufficient to enable four others to emigrate. Those remaining behind are in a pitiful conditon, and are reduced to eating cats and wandering on , the hills seeking sustenance. i "Workmen's societies throughout tepam have taken cbarge of 2000 children who ■ vroar red handkerchiefs round their | necks as strike propaganda.

AMERICAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY. WASHINGTON", October 5. A message from Manchester, New Hampshire, says the "United Textile Workers of America will consider a proposition to raise a fund of I.OCO.UUU dollars to combat any attempt to lower wages in the American textile industry. BRITISH MINERS' DISPUTE. By Cable—Press As«oeia"Toin—Copyngnt ) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received October 6th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 5. The majority of the miners are back at work after a day's "protest" strike. The fact of the executive advising the men to reject the datum lino is not surprising, as it is largely in the hands of the younger extreme element, it is still bolievod that a majority of the i fields will favour a settlement, with tn© exception of South Wales. (Received October 7th, 1 a.m.) LONDON, October 6. The Welsh miners have resumed work.