THE MEAT TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 99, 24 October 1938, Page 12

THE MEAT TRADE

SMITHFIELD STALLS

LOSS BY SWIFT STRIKES

(Special to the "Evening Post.") LONDON, October 6.

The general tone at Smithfield, at the moment, is one of uncertainty, and retailers, in particular, are seriously perturbed at the rumours of an impending "drive" by certain labour organisations to establish a trade union on the lines of the body recently set up in Glasgow. In the latter case, the "union" membership consists of employers as well as employees, and while it is said to function successfully in Glasgow, the London interests likely to be affected are far more varied. "Lightning" strikes have occurred with increased frequency on Smithfield during the last two or three years, and hardly a month passes without a "down tools" occurrence, more often than not over a trivial cause.

For instance, it is said on good authority that one importing firm suffered a loss of over £5000 because of a sudden strike when the firm declined to follow the customary practice of paying double rates on the following Sunday to casua} workers who were not engaged on a Bank Holiday, the actual total amount originally at stake being £4 10s. It might have been that the employees were not wholly to blame in this particular instance, but there is considerable evidence, to show that the workers' organisations are causing intense unrest by their rigid pursuance of the "closed shop" policy. Their latest demand is for all market clerks and salesmen to join the same trade union as the pitchers, cutters, and other manual workers. The clerks, checkers, and salesmen resent this demand, and feeling accordingly runs high at the moment. According to the latest reports, the trade union concerned has threatened a general strike at Smithfield unless the whitecoat employees and the salesmen join the union. This threat has led to considerable uneasiness among retailers, who are said to have arranged for a deputation to the Home Office for steps to be taken to provide protection for the buyers and their employees who may, in consequence of a strike, find it necessary to handle their. own supplies from the market. It is also 'reported that the trade unions are stipulating that the part-time drivers employed by the retailers should become members of the union and be paid the same wages as the full-time drivers employed by the carriers. Against this, the retailers claim, that the men who drive their light delivery vans to and from market are primarily employed as cutters or shopmen for the major part of their working time, and, therefore, have no reason to join the union. The sum effect of this unrest is that there is a growing tendency for retailers to by-pass Smithfield as much as possible in favour of the suburban depots run by the bigger wholesale firms. ~. . Thelje is, of course, a .conciliation board in existence, but the buyers prefer the greater certainty of obtaining supplies from the outer depots rather than place full dependency upon Smithfield itself.