RUHR MINERS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 193, 10 May 1924, Page 7

RUHR MINERS

STRUGGLE FOR SEVEN-HOUR SHIFT

UNIONS REFUSE TO DECLARE GENERAL STRIKE BURDEN OF AGREEMENTS WITH THE FRENCH By Telegraph -Pnnss Association. Copyright. London, May 8. The Cologne correspondent of “The Times” says that the threatened struggle in the Ruhr over the seven hours mining shift has definitely begun. Between 350,000 and 450,000 miners declare their determination to fight for seven hours below ground and eight hours above. The men are urged to maintain strict trade union discipline. The unions refuse to declare a general strike, as demanded by the Communists. and throw on the employers the responsibility of dismissing men who refuse to work an extra hour. The German Press renresents the trouble as due to Communist pr«P“ganda. This is largely incorrect. Tim fight is primarily economic, and the grave situation which has arisen should be a warning of the impossibility of continuing the agreements forced on the mineowners by the French. These place on the mineowners the impossible burden of paying something between £25,000,000 and £30,000.000 a year. In endeavouring to transfer it to the shoulders of the workpeople, the owners seem to have driven even the docile German workers too far. and the worker is determined that the, whole burden of the French productive pledges cannot he carried by himself. The Minister of Labour is said to be going to the Ruhr to trv to settle the trouble. —“The Times.” A MILLION MEN IDLE (Rec. May 9, 8.5 p.m.) Berlin, May 9. The lock-out of miners in. the Ruhr, Upper Silesia, and Saxony is affecting thousands of other workers, and precipitating a great industrial ■war. It is estimated th it a million men are now idle. The struggle is costing nearly half-a-million sterling daily.—Reuter.