THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 21824, 13 September 1934, Page 3

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By J.S.S.] Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labour Movement are invited. MINISTER'S REPLY TO WORKERS’ UN\ON. Complaints made by the New Zealand Workers’ Union concerning its members employed in the Otago province have been answered by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. Bitchener) in correspondence received by Mr Arthur Cook, general secretary of the union. The Minister points out what has been clone in the way of transferring largo numbers of workers from the Waitaki Hydro to the To Anau-Milford Sound and the KingstonQueenstown roads. A large number would be also placed in South Canterbury. Regarding accident compensation payments, the causes of delays had now been overcome as the result of the visit of an officer to the irrigation works of Central Otago. Jt is a standing instruction that accident compensation be paid fortnightly, hut this cannot be done unless injured workmen furnish satisfactory medical certificates, and also notify the bfficer in charge of their addresses in the event of their having gone away from the works. In reference to the request from Otago Central irrigation workers that only certificated men he allowed to use explosives, the Minister states that shot-firing is done by certified men if they are available and also capable of taking charge of parties. If a good ganger is in charge it is not considered essential that he should have a certificate, seeing that he has had the necessary experience in the use of explosives. The desire of irrigation workers for huts instead of tents could not bo met. The Omakau scheme was nearing completion, and though Bft by 10ft huts might be much better, the extra expenditure was unwarranted. When any further major works were being put in hand the question of providing huts would be considered.

* * * * CRAFT UNIONISM OUT OF DATE

The Alliance of Labour in this country is continually seeking to place unionism on a different and firmer basis. Jt is generally realised that craft unionism is out of date and does not satisfactorily meet the needs of workers engaged in modern industrial plants. Work in many plants is on a mass production scale and tradesmen of various kinds are brought into close relationship. Their mutual interests demand a type of union organisation which serves the industry as a whole. As conditions arc at present, carpenters, painters, metal workers, etc., arc unionised on the basis of their craft. In the United States the same problem exists, only on a vaster scale, due to the mass production factories which employ many thousands of workers. The American,. Federation of Teachers, which is affiliated to the American ..Federation of Labour, in conference "last month passed a resolution asking the National Labour organisation to favour a single union in each industry, thus uniting all crafts within a given industry. Such industrial unionism, the teachers decided, was the most appropriate and effective form of organisation of the trade union movement today. Specialisation in industry with its mass production has taken away the significance of the old craft unions. In large industries like the automobile, rubber, or steel businesses, work has become so highly specialised that the various craftsmen, cadi belonging to his own union, are often involved in jurisdictional conflicts. The teachers ask that the American Federation of Labour call a conference of international union executive boards to consider ways of transferring the emit unions To industrial unions;

* * * * PROMISES TO UNIONS

Special promises to the trade unions figure 'in a recently-published policy statement of the National Executive Committee of the British Labour Party, which sets forth in detail what tire party would attempt to do in the cause of international peace and disarmament in the event of its reaching power at the next election. Present wages machinery would bo revised, giving power to the National Wages Board to protect the farm worker, and provision would be made for a progressive increase of wages over a period. Unemployment insurance would be extended to farm workers, the tied cottage would be abolished, and tbe development of playing fields, village halls, allotment gardens, and otlier , amenities i would proceed alongside the provision of adequate rural housing. Restoration would be made to the trade unions of the powers of which they were depriyed by the Trades Disputes and Trade U mon Act of 1927. A new Factory Act would he carried through, and a new Shops Act passed dealing with hours, health, and other conditions in the distributive trades. Workmen’s compensation would bo reformed on the lines laid down hv the Trades Union Congress. While every effort would be made to get international agreement on the forty-hour-wcek without reduction of pay, and the drastic restriction of overtime, s the party would set an example to British industry by applying the principle in the public services, national and local. Tito importance of higher wages, both to the producers and to trade is emphasised. It is proposed to extend the alliance of Labour with the consumers’ co-operative movement. ***••* FRUITS OF SOCIALIST OVERTHROW. Evidence is offered on all sides that the working people of Vienna, who for twelve years enjoyed manifold benefits from enterprising Socialist city municipal enterprise, are being steadily deprived of tlieii- hard-won privileges. The Viennese labourers are to-day engaged in a struggle against higher rents. It is the first open light they have made since the overthrow of the Socialist city government in February, when Major Emil Fey turned his cannon against the workers’ houses. The issue which brought the present light to a climax is the raising of the rents in municipal dwellings from 40 to 150 per cent, higher than those prevailing under tho Socialist regime. The-Boston ‘Monitor,’ in reviewing the crisis in its customary impartial manner, states that Vicemayor Dr Karl Winter, a champion of the workers, urged them to pay only the old rent and called on the social service department of tho Government to make up the increase. Dr Winter, who has long been known as the fearless champion of the workers, a devoted Roman Catholic, and uncompromisingly opposed to Marxism, was given his present position by the late Dr Dollfuss in order to lead the Government’s efforts to reconcile tho workers and draw them out of tho Socialist camp. After the war the capital of Austria, as most other cities in the_ country, passed into the hands of Socialist governments, and striking efforts were made to improve the living conditions of the masses. Special care of every sort was given to children and mothers, school youth were given remarkable recreational, health, and cultural advantages, and a large number of comfortable dwellings wore put up

and rented at low rates. It is held by many that the Socialists overdid this' phase of their activity, but in arty case it must be pointed out that practically all the Socialist leaders remained poor men. They are not accused of graft. Naturally, the richer people, who were heavily taxed, strongly opposed these Socialist policies, and at last, with the help of the army and the Fascist Heimwehr, drove the Socialists out. In abolishing Marxism the clerical regime claimed to have the best interests of the workers at heart. Since corning to power, the taxes of tho masses have been raised, rents Iprve been increased, all their organisations have been abolished, every form of free social or political or professional expression has been prohibited, and wages in many instances nave been lowered. This raising of rents is interpreted by the workers as a proof of the unfriendly attitude oi tire present regime toward tho proletariat, and is one reason, it is declared here, why so much violence is being committed in Austria against the present Government. * * * * LABOUR’S BOYCOTT OF GERMANY. Speaking at a meeting in London recently, Mr W. M. Citrine, president of the British Trades Union Congress, said l the recent events in Germany were the consequence of the rapidly increasing financial and economic difficulties which had been created by the Hitler regime. The industrialists and financiers m Germany saw- tho country rushing to headlong ruin. Wages had fallen catastrophically, until real wages were now not much more than half of what they were a few years ago. In this respect, Germany was seeking to outdo the Fascists of Italy in the degradation of the standard of life of tho people. The brutal savagery which had characterised the political murders of June 30 was an inseparable component of Nazism. It proved conclusively the moral justification for the bqycott of German goods, which the Labour movement, together with the Jewish Representative Council, had instituted. Both Hitler and Dr Schacht, the head of the Reichsbank, had testified to the effectiveness of the boycott as one of the chief causes in the decline of-Ger-many’s international trade. Already there wore evidences that this was having a salutary effect in Germany, where changes of a far-reaching political character were imminent. The boycott must he rigorously maintained and extended until the persecution of Jews, Socialists, ■ Communists, and trade unionists had been renounced, and liberty of thought and action rc-cstab-lished.

NEW WAGES AGREEMENT. Representatives 'of the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Drivers’ Union have framed a new award to cover drivers in the employ of the council,- which practically amounts to the renewal of the old award. The rates of pay agreed upon are as follows:—Horse drivers, £4 17s 6d to £5 Is 6d; motor drivers, £4 19s fid; night broom drivers. £5 .'is fid; H’alswell quarry truck drivers, £4 18s fid; tractor drivers, £4 19s fid; tractor scoop drivers, £5 7s; tractor grader drivers, £5 7s; concrete piixer drivers, £5 7s; stablemen. £5; and drivers of sump cleaners, £5 10s. The wages for the Halswell quarry drivers are for a 44-hour week. Some time ago the question .of dispensing? with the services of some of the men or decreasing the hours of work was discussed, and an arrangement was come f to whereby the men would have the full Saturday off. This meant that the men wore working slightly less than the 44-hour week, but it was agreed that the working week should he 44 hours. A clause was also inserted in the tentative agreement stipulating that any driver who fails to attend the council picnic bo not paid for the day, unless ho can show reasonable cause for his absence. * * * * AMERICAN WAGE SCALES. Current wage scales in the United States compare very favourably with rates paid ; in the past when measured in purchasing power, says the United Business Service of Boston. The service points out the relative position of present wage rates with those prevailing in 1913, 1920, 1922, 1929. and 1933. Comparing present wage scales with 1913, actual wage rates are now 83 per cent, above those prevailing before the war. The cost'of living at present is onlv 39 per cent, higher than it was in 1913. Real wages, therefore (wage rates measured in purchasing power), are therefore substantially higher now than they were in 1913. Current wage rates are 14 per cent, below the peak levels registered in the post-war inflation boom in 1920, but the cost of living is now 36 per cent. less than it was then. Real wages at the present are therefore much higher than at the peak in 1920. * * * * DOUGLAS CREDIT DECLARED ANTI-LABOUR. The decision of the Douglas Social Credit movement to nominate candidates for certain seats at the Federal elections to be held in Australia next, month has created much general in-

terest and some consternation in Labour " circles. It was hoped by political Labour leaders that the. Douglas movement might bo swung in behind Labour, and it had become noticeable in Australia,, as elsewhere, that Labour was coquetting with ’ Douglas theories in the apparent hope of gaining its support. The- Queensland central executive of. the A.L.P. has now issued an official’ statement declaring that the Douglas Credit ‘Party was definitely anti-Lab-our. The statement set put that the Dougins Credit Party was just another addition to the numerous parties opposing Labour, and would have to be treated as such. It was also pointed out that under the rules of the Australian Labour -Party no member of,the Douglas Credit Party was eligible to liecome or continue to be a member of the A.L.P., and that no member of the Australian Labour Party could become or remain a member of the Douglas Credit Party. It is. expected _ (says the ‘ Australian Worker ’) that similar declarations will be made by Labour in the other States. »*# v * WOMEN’S INDUSTRIAL ADVANCE.'There are 218 women crane drivers. 347 married women smiths and skWed forge workers, and 422 women bookmakers in England and Wales. This is revealed in the census of the country for 1931. just published,, which shows how women have taken up occupations in which men were almost exclusively employed*. The total population was 39.952,377, of which 20,218,367 were women. In professional occupations women outnumbered men in 1931, thp figures being 389,359 to 356,726. Under the heading chief constables, inspectors,, and superintendents five married women were returned. As charwomen and office cleaners the number of married women returned was 63,944, of whom 43 were 75 years old and over. Rag, bone, bottle, etc., sorters numbered 3,135, there being one aged 75 or over, while 558 were described as general labourers and 199 simply as labourers. Married women who were officials of foreign Governments numbered four. In 1921 the number of males coming within the “ retired or not gainfully employed ” category was 7,788,390, but by 1931 it had declined to 1.385,526. The number of “retired ” females in 1921 was 10.436.473,hut this figure rose in the ten years to 10,804,851.