STRIKES END IN FRANCE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25364, 11 December 1947, Page 7

STRIKES END IN FRANCE

Workers Ordered Back CONFEDERATION’S DECISION * (NZ Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9.40 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 10. The strikes in France, which have lasted three weeks, will end officially to-day. A back-to-work order was given last night by th© Communist leaders of the French Confederation of Labour. The Paris correspondent of “The Times” says that many thousands of workers had already returned to work, and that the order can therefore be interpreted only as a retreat from what was swiftly becoming an untenable position. “The conclusions to be drawn,” the correspondent adds, “are both encouraging and depressing. First, it is obvious that the Communists in the confederation are no longer able to wield their former power, not so much because the non-Communist elements, which stand for professional as against political trade unionism, have grown stronger, but because the worker himself seems to have sensed that he was being used as a pawn in a larger and more desperate game. “Second, the present French Government, unlike its predecessor, has stood up to the challenge, and this has probably done as much as anything to restore order.

“Nevertheless, the Communist power in the confederation remains a strong weapon. For three weeks it has been able to hold up France's industrial and social life, and many French observers feel there is no reason why the same thing should not happen again in two or three months.

Events have proved that it is not necessary to command the unanimous support of the workers in order to paralyse an industry or part of an industry. The Paris underground railway workers did not strike last week, but because the staff at the electricity plant did, the underground came to a standstill.

‘Finally, the present strikes, uplike previous strikes, have seen the ugly development of sabotage, and this has profoundly shaken the French people.”

Confederation’s Order The Confederation of Labour in its communique ordering strikers back to work made no direct statement that the confederation had accepted the Government’s terms, but reviewed the Government’s offers and told the strikers: “These results you have obtained by your strike.” The Paris correspondent of Reuters says that the Government’s proposals were:

(1) A monthly living allowance for all workers from November 24 of £3 2s 6d.

(2). The Government to defer its wage-freezing plans to June 1, 1948, and meanwhile take steps to stabilise relations between wages and prices. (3 A new minimum monthly wage from December 1, 1947, believed to be £2O 16s. compared with the confederation’s demand for £22 10s and the present minimum of £l6 16s Bd. (4) A 22 per cent, increase in family allowances.

The Minister of Labour (Mr Daniel Mayer), commenting on the confederation’s decision, said: “The working class have made the necessary discrimination between the economic aspect of their claims and the political exploitation of their claims.” Tlle Paris correspondent of the “Evening Standard” says that France is recovering from the nightmare of civil war. Before the wave of strikes began, • the people feared that the Communists were strong enough to plunge the country into civil war. The correspondent adds that political observers are convinced that if new elections were held now, the Communists would be lucky to win 60 seats They estimate that de Gaullists would poll 60 per cent, of the vote.