STRIKE CRISIS WORSENS IN FRANCE

Grey River Argus, 19 October 1948, Page 5

STRIKE CRISIS WORSENS IN FRANCE

Soldiers May Have to Maintain Mines

PARIS, Oct. 18

When the Communist unions announced that they will withdraw maintenance men from the pits for 24 hours starting on Monday, the Minister of the interior, M. Moch, immediately conferred with the Minister of Commerce and industry, M. Lacoste. It was announced later that the Government would act if the maintenance men walked out. The Government has not yet announced what it wil Ido, but it thought likely that it may send army maintenance men down. M. Moch explained that the withdrawal of the maintenance staffs—they have been at their posts since tlm start of the strike—might cause major damage to the pits and cause unemployment at the end of the assumed that talks between the Government and non-Commun-ist leaders last night failed.

VIOLENCE FEARED There are increasing fears that violence may break out on Monday in the northern coalfields, where 350,000 miners have been on strike for a fortnight, says the Bntisn United Press correspondent. More trouble may come within a few days as a result of a resolution passed by tne General Confederation of Labour, condemning the Government and asking for a minimum monthly wage of £1 l’he Government is intensifying its campaign to reduce food prices and threatening to send out squads to requisition cattle from the farmers who will not sell at the Government Pl The new exchange rates following devaluation of the franc to 1061 to the £ are expected to cancel out the small" progress the Government has made in reducing the cost of living. The strikes have already cost France 2,00,000 tons of coal.