WORKERS’ WAR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 126, 30 April 1941, Page 6

WORKERS’ WAR

PLEA FOR CO-OPERATION. MR HOLMES’S ADDRESS. (Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, April 29 A plea for an even greater output and better co-operation from the workers of New Zealand, so as to help j rapidly to defeat Nazi tyranny, was i made by Mr W. Holmes, the repres- | entative of the British Trades Union j Congress, in an address to the Hutt I Valley railway workshop employees toi day. Mr Holmes stressed that this was : a workers’ war. Above all, he said, ! everybody must remain democratic and | loyally support the Government elected j by the people, leaving petty grievances lor settlement when the war is won. “London is not so bad as is thought,” said Dir Holmes, describing conditions in England. “We laugh at an invasion because of the work ol the men in the factories in the last eight months. The one thing which saved England in the May crisis was the repair and engineering shops. Now great factories are coming into operation, air factories and shipyards that will build our materials superior to the enemy’s. “This year the workers’ freedom is at stake. The workers have saved England up till now. It is a workers war. Therefore, on behalf of the British Tr.ades Union Congress, T ask you workers to be with us till the end to win liberty, and then with vour combined knowledge to see that there is no more war.” . The Dlinister of National Service (Hon. R. Semple) thanked Mr Holmes for his inspiring speech and the following motion was carried: “That tins meeting of public servants engaged iti the Hutt workshops who are members of the trades union movement in New Zealand thank Dtr Holmes for inspiring message of goodwill fr° n ' British workmen. We ask him in the. name of the trade unionists of this country to convey to the British workers on his return our fraternal greetings, and to express our united determination to pull our weight and play our part with the British workmen in their titanic struggle for liberty. 1 heir cause is our cause. Their fight is our light. Their victory is our victory. “We express our admiration for the courage and fortitude of the people of Britain who through their grim determination and indescribable suffering are upholding democracy, which represents the rights of the people o be masters of their own destiny ana captains of their own souls. They have won the admiration of the world \Ve are with them in every phase of the struggle. DVe pledge to them out loyalty all the strength wc possess and alf the treasures at our command in order that they, along with us. will come victorious!v out of this titanic struggle which has been forced, on us against our will.”