AIMS OF BELGIAN STRIKERS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 11

AIMS OF BELGIAN STRIKERS

forty-hour week and HIGHER WAGES PUBLIC SYMPATHETIC TOWARD MOVEMENT (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 17, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 16. The Brussels correspondent of “The Times” says the public generally sympathise with the strikers, especially with the miners, who have suffered severely in the depression from the increased cost of living through devaluation of the franc. Their aims are similar to those of the French strikers —a 10 per cent, increase in wages, a 40-hour week, and paid annual holidays. The incident precipitating the strike was the action of an employer in fining a miner one-fifth of a day’s wages for a trivial offence. Twenty-one strikers were arrested at Liege. The Brussels correspondent of the “Djiily Telegraph” says that troops are working the electric supply services, and they will also be drafted to other public utilities. At Mons 3500 shoemakers struck. They are demanding a pension of £SO a year at the age of 60. Dock workers at Ghent are joining the strikers. FEARS FOR DEFENCE SUPPLIES OUTPUT OF OIL REFINERY REDUCED (Received June 17, 10,13 p.m.) BRUSSELS, June 16. Belgian strikers have induced workers at Ardennes to leave the oil refinery. This standstill is causing anxiety over the national defence supplies, since the necessary daily quota of 11.000 tons is reduced to 4000. Strikers, in attempting to prevent the trams running at Liege, repeatedly clashed with the police, who twice charged with drawn sabres. Three policemen were wounded by pistol shots when an affray occurred at Rocour, a suburb of Liege. Three were seriously injured at St. Walburge while resisting an attack of 200 miners. The municipality withdrew the trams after the strikers’ threat to set fire to them. WORKERS’ GAIN IN FRANCE HIGH COST OF GOVERNMENT’S MEASURES PARIS, June 16. The Senate has begun to debate the strike bills prepared by the Prime Minister (M. Leon Blum), which it is estimated will entail an expenditure of £ 18,600,000 a year. M. Jouhaux, general secretary of 'the Trades Union Council, declares that French Labour has made up 20 years’ leeway in one night. The union membership is now 2,600,000. The collective agreement affects 7,000,000 wage earners, of whom 80 per cent, were previously ignorant of union organisation, necessitating extensive tutelage. Thirty-two thousand of 50,000 are still idle in Paris. They occupy the department stores and one-price shops. The employees of the insurance companies, perfumers, and leather-goods houses are expected to resume to-morrow. The trouble is extending to Brittany. Sixteen vessels are held up in the harbour at Nantes, where 15,000 have ceased work. The department stores have closed, the building industry is •at a standstill, and the petrol refineries have stopped working, while the department store and slaughterhouse workers at Lyons are still idle. UNREST GROWING IN MOROCCO ARABS FORCE FARM WORKERS TO STRIKE (Received June 17, 9.51 p.m.) ALGIERS, June 16. The strike movement is growing in Morocco. Workers in the building trade at Casablanca have occupied 70 builders’ yards. The metallurgical industry is affected. Farmers are appealing for protection against bands of Arabs, who are roaming the countryside forcing labourers to cease work and damaging farms and live stock. Many of these agitators have been arrested.