LABOUR LAWS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 122, 27 May 1925, Page 5

LABOUR LAWS

WASHINGTON CONVENTION

SLOWNESS OF RATIFICATION.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION-COPIUIOHT.)

(REUTOR'S TEL2GRAH.)

GENEVA, 25th May.

The International Labour Conference discussed the report of tho Director of the International Labour Bureau. M. Tichoffen, Belgian Minister of Labour, said that Belgium wonld ratify tho Washington Eight Hours Day Convention when tho big industrial countries did so. Mr. H. I!. Bettertoh, the British Government delegate, said, the principle of the forty-eight hours' week had long been recognised in Britain. He denied that Britain was hostile to the conventions; on the contrary, she had ratified ten of them.

M. Couhaux, of France, on behalf of the workers' group, said that the statements of M. Tichoffen and Mr. Betterton were inadequate. The ratification of the Washington Convention was progressing too slowly, and he warned the° conference that there was danger of disaffection among the working classes. Mr. Poulton, the British workers' delegate, voiced tho deep disappointment of the workers at tho slowness in ratifying tlie conventions.

Hen- Feig, the German Government representative, said the German Minister of Labour was elaborating legislation for fixing hours of work, keeping in view the desirability of adapting it as far as possible to the principles of the Washington Convention.