STRIKES IN FRANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1937, Page 7

STRIKES IN FRANCE

PUBLIC SERVICES WAGES

TROOPS GUARD MARKETS

[by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.]

PARIS, December 28.. A strike in all public services will begin in France to-morrow. The strike affects 120,000 to 140,000 municipal employees, who were allowed only 6/8 for the increased cost of living, compared with 13/4 paid to State officials, Underground railways, bus services, electric and water undertakings, but not hospital services, are involved. Armed and steel-helmeted men are guarding the markets to prevent the strikers interfering with army vans conveying food. ■ TRANSPORT INCIDENTS.

(Received December 30, 8 a.m.) PARIS, December 29.

The suspension of the night motorbus services was the citizens’ first intimation of the lightning strike, by the transport municipal workers. Thousands of workers learned the fact when arriving at the underground stations and bus stops. Taximen, thus far, are holding aloof, and they reaped . a rich harvest. Typists and shop-assistants cunningly obtained lifts by laughingly .walking in front of motor cars. Numerous cafes along the routes which were black with walkers., had a busy morning, the pedestrians' apparently spending the usual fares on refreshments. Thus far, there is l no lack of water, gas or electricity, as skeleton staffs are carrying on. Under the union’s decision, hospital workers are staging a folded arms strike for two hours this afternoon, but they promise that the sick will not be neglected. Army lorries are still supplying markets and distributing newspapers, despite the trade union’s protest that the Government thereby is encouraging the so-called Fascist employers, which may force the unions into drastic action. The Government is genuinely perturbed by the strike, and is making a determined effort at some sort of settlement to-day.

GOVERNMENT’S WARNING.

(Reed. December 30, 1 p.m.) PARIS, December 29.

As a result of the strike of transport municipal workers, it is estimated that 1,500,000 people walked to work. A Ministerial Conference, including M. Daladier, Minister of War, decided on urgent measures, which will be submitted to Cabinet. - M. Chautemps issued a communique, announcing the Government s determination to face the serious situation with the greatest vigour, and not to permit the interruption of indispensable services, or to permit disorders.

TROOPS AS STRIKE-BREAKERS

(Received December 30, 2 p.m.) \ PARIS, December 29.

The Government has decided to use troops to run public services to-mor-row, unless the strike of 140,000 employees, paralysing transport, and other services, is called off immediately. • . . , This was learned authoritatively after the Cabinet meeting, at which it was stated that army engineers, aided by four hundred naval experts, had been enrolled to run the underground, electric and gas services.

INDUSTRIAL CONSCRIPTION?

(Recd. Dec. 30, 2.30 p.m.). PARIS, December 29.

Cabinet’s drastic decision to break the strikes is believed to include action to treat as conscripts, all workers needed for carrying out essential services. Under the French law, all able-bodied people, liable for military service, can be called up to the colours, or the reserve, as needed, using the same weapon as in 1910 when Aristide broke the 'railway strike. " Although there have been no serious incidents reported, several strikers were' arrested on attempting to prevent workers returning to work. Tyres of lorries belonging to department firms have been slit. A taxicab was overturned and the occupants injured. Notwithstanding the strikers’ assurances that they would keep up the necessary public utility services, the gas supply has begun to fail. The bad impression created by the strike, led to an all-round marking down of French shfires on the Bourse. Undertakers’ assistants have joined the strike, and handled only urgent cases. One body was taken to the cemetery, in a wheelbarrow.

DEPUTIES’ SALARIES

PARIS, December 29

Bv 433 votes to 95 the members of i the Chamber of Deputies to-day de-1 cided to increase their own salaries by 7,200 francs a year, and passed a bill granting 600 francs a month to each deputy's secretary. ASSASSINATION PLOT PARIS, December 29. The story of a plot to assassinate the Vice-Premier (M. Leon Blum), the Minister for the Interior (M. Max Dormoy), and other members of the French Cabinet was told to the examining magistrate to-day by Eugene Deloncle, who was arrested after a search of his flat in connection with the Cagoulard plot.

Accused said that the Communists had prepared a plot to seize Paris which was to have broken out. on the night of November 15.

CIVIL WAR AVERTED?

(Recd. December 30, 1 p.m.) PARIS, December 29. | Do Loncle claimed that the Cagou-] lards saved France from civil war. He declared that 85,000 Communists, including 9000 North Africans, were to be engaged in the operations, including the seizure of the Bank of France, the Ministries, telephone and wireless stations. Four hundred financiers, industrialists, and army officers were to be seized as hostages. The assassination of Socialist Ministers, including M. Chautemps and M. Lebas, was planned, to suggest that the Fascists were carrying out the coup. The plotters also aimed at the assassina-

1 tion of various prominent people, including M. De La Rocque and M. Chiappe. He added that he and M. Dusseigneur, former Chief Secretary of the Air Ministry, who had denied complicity in the Cagoulard plot, had informed the military and other authorities about the Communist conspiracy.