WAVE OF STRIKES IN FINLAND LED BY COMMUNISTS

Grey River Argus, 20 August 1949, Page 5

WAVE OF STRIKES IN FINLAND LED BY COMMUNISTS

Eleven Unions With 150,000 Men (Rec 9.5) LONDON, August 19. Finland’s Social Democrat Government faces a grave situation owing to strikes. The first was that of the dockers, due to the Communistled Union of Transport workers. There have been conflicts between strikers and the police. Troops have been called in. HELSINKI, Aug. 15 Finland’s Social Democratic Government used emergency powers late to-day, and declared Hangoe, on the south-west coast, an open port to break a nation-wide dockers’ strike, called by the Communist-led Transport Workers’ Union. The dockers' struck this morning, bringing all the shipping to a standstill. All ships are now to be directed to Hangoe and if the dockers refuse to work them the Government will use troops. One striker was killed and six strikers and 10 policemen injured, when the police opened fire after 1500 striking lumber workers in Kemui had attacked them with shotguns and stones. The Government has ordered troop and police reinforcements to the town. The clash occurred when police intervened to prevent strikers marching toward Kemi River, where non-strikers were breaking up a log jam.

Many More Unions Being Brought Out (Dec 9.15) LONDON. Aug 19. The Finnish Government to-day is faced with new strikes, which are 'expected to bring the number o 1 workers who are now idle to 150,000. Workers are demanding wage increases averaging 10 per cent. The workers in fish, meat cereals, textile and shoe industries, besides the bricklayers, the wood workers and the drivers are all expected to come out on strike next. The Minister of Justice, Mr Aarre Simonen. answering this challenge of the 11 Communist-led trade unions that are involved, told the Finnish people, in a broadcast last night (Thursday): — “The Government can, and will, maintain order.” Reuter’s correspondent in' Helsinki has reported: ‘‘All bread and cigarettes have already disappeared from the shops by Thursday afternoon But an immediate food shortage is not expected, because the farmers now are coming into the towns to sell their produce direct. Communists Arrested (Rec. 11.35) HELSINKI, Aug. 19 Police arrested leading Communists at Kemi, a Finnish centre, early to-day. aftei- there had been clashes with the strikers here on Thursday. Those arrested included the chairman of the Kemi City Council, Lahja Heikkilae