RUSSIAN STRIKE-BREAKING— Rioting Flare-up: Fight For Berlin Rail Stations

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 6

RUSSIAN STRIKE-BREAKING— Rioting Flare-up: Fight For Berlin Rail Stations

BERLIN, May 22.—8100dy rioting flared up at dawn as reinforced Eastern-sector railway police and strike-breakers attacked Berlin railway stations occupied by strikers. Eastern-sector police fired 50 shots into 300 strikers at Charlottenburg, wounding three. A striker is reported to have been shot dead by the police at the Lichtenrade station, in the American sector. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting is reported from many stations. Several strike-breakers had their heads split open by steel clubs as angry strikers battled to prevent the operation of the city’s railway services. * '

The “battle of the trains” broke out in Berlin yesterday after 12,000 railway workers in Western Berlin went on strike over their demand that the Russian-controlled railway administration pay them in West marks instead of East marks. The strikers also demanding the reinstatment .of railway workers dismissed for antiCommunist trade union activity, and permission for all workers to join their anti-Communist union if they wish.

Directed Against Russia A spokesman for the Western railwaymen said that the strike was directed against the Russian-controlled elevated railway and the trains running between Berlin and the Russian zone, and would not halt goods or passenger traffic from Western Germany to Berlin. Part of the elevated rail system began operating last night. Two trains loaded with armed strike-breakers from the Russian sector of Berlin arrived in the British sector of Berlin this morning. The strike-breakers rapidly occupied seven elevated railway stations. There was little opposition from strikers, and no shots were fired.

Strikers yesterday attacked the Soviet transport chief (General Kvashnin) stoned and injured another Russian officer, set fire to a train, and fought pitched battles with Communist strike-breakers.

The strike threw the city’s transport system into confusion, because about 750,000 Berliners use the elevated railway to travel to work. The official Soviet organ Taegliche Rundschau announced yesterday that the Berlin railway administration was arranging to pay its Western Berlin employees in West marks from June 1, thus meeting the strikers’ demand. " ■

The Western allied commandants maintained a “hands off” attitude towards the strike, while sympathising with the railway workers. The first clash occurred at the Tempeihof - station, in the American sector, after strikers had uncoupled a locomotive and used it to block a key switch. Soviet-controlled special police and strikers fought with fists and stones.

Police attached to the American sector fired a warning shot and then formed a protective cordon round Russian officers as they left the starion. About 100 strikers shouted, booed, and spat at the Russians. z\ngry strikers mauled many young Communists before the strike breakers finally gained control of the Tempelhof station.

Attack On Russian General

Strikers attacked the Soviet transport chief, General Kyvashnin, when he arrived to inspect railway installations in the American sector. Wes-tern-sector police rescued him from what they described as a frenzied mob and escorted him to the boundary of the Soviet sector.

There were at least five casualties when several hundred strikebreakers stoned Western-sector police and strikers at two stations in the .American sector.

At Westkreuz, a station in the British sector, a train was set on fire, but little damage was done. Pickets at some stations prevented passengers from boarding trains.

Some residents of the Russian sector fought fiercely with pickets. At several stations in the Western sectors pickets attacked passengers on trains. Hand-to-hand fighting broke out late last night at the Halensee station, in the British sector. About 100 strike-breakers tried to storm the station, but were forced to retreat by the strikers, who had dug themselves in.

The headquarters of the striking railwaymen in Berlin reported this morning that 10 trains carrying .3000 Russion-zone policemen were moving towards Berlin in an increased effort to break the strike. One train carrying Russian-sector police entered the Neurollen elevated station, in the American sector, early this morning. The policemen opened fire on the strikers, wounding some of them. Russian-sector police barricaded in the big Wannsee • railway station opened fire with pistols when scores of strikers tried to sneak across the darkened railway tracks to capture the station. The strikers were beaten off with one casualty. Strikers gained complete control of the Schoeneberg elevated station, in the United States sector. Two Russian officers controlling the Schoeneberg power-plant, which supplies most of the power for the elevated railway system, formally turned over the plant to officials of the striking union in return for a protocol confirming that the plant was in order.