Back to Work

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 136, 11 June 1936, Page 7

Back to Work

French Strikers’ Victory PROBLEM OF RISING COSTS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. PARIS, June 9. The strikers are streaming back to work. Trade unions describe tho settlement of tho strike as the greatest victory in tho history of Preach Labour, and consider that the income of tho workers, allowing for a 40-hour week, will mean an average rise of 35 por cont. Employers do not share their enthusiasm, and contend that tho increases will placo a heavy burden on Preach economy.

The Premier’s problom now is to roconsilo his opposition to devaluation with the rising costs of production which the strike settlement will necessitate. Right interests, formerly bitter opponents of devaluation, arc now the strongest advocates of such a move. Even the Popular Pront is becoming uneasy at M. Blum’s insistence on the sanctity of Iho franc. Critics point out that if he rejects devaluation ho must turn to tariffs, quotas, aiid exchange regulations, turning France into a very totalitarian State which M. Blum was elected to combat.

M. Blum is at present relying on short-term borrowing, which has reached the unprecedented total of £2SO,000,000. Presumably ho intends to continue borrowing until the market will lend no longer. Bills Introduced

Iu the Chamber of Deputies, hi. Blum tabled Bills for a 10-hour week, au annual holiday of 15 days with pay, collective contracts, exemptiou of war veterans from taxation, and alterations to certain decree laws. He asked the Chamber to adopt procedure of extreme urgency. The Chamber by a large majority gave its approval aud adjourned after referring the measures to Commissions.

Tho Bill for collective contracts gives public authority aud power to arbitrate iu case of differences between parties respecting the national agreement, aud extends tho agreement to parties uot represented ill the negotiations on June 7. Employers iu the textilo industry told M. Blum that they would accept the agreement, but drew; tho attention of the Government to the necessity for a reduction of the export tax iu order to enable them to defend their markets.

Boulogne shopgirls dcsiro tho abolition of au order that they must appear for work attractively made up, declaring that they are workers aud not actresses. Employers and Men on Equal Footing NEW ORDER IN TRANCE. LONDON, Juno 9. The Manchester Uuaruiun’s Pans corresponuent says tuat it ts difiicufi lor outsiders to realise the enormous effect o.L -Monday's agreement on the working class. The truth is that the oulk or me employers ior the first time agreed to sigu a general agreement witn qualified representatives of the entire working class's patrons, thereby iu tlic eyes or tfie workers aoandoning thcii sacred prerogatives and placing themselves on a looting of equality with the proletariat. Tho agreement has, inter alia, ended the practice whereby certain employers could openly refuse to employ union labour, Socialists, or Communisms. Tho Paris correspondent of the Times says that tho raising of wages to a level more closely approaching tne western European standard illustrates the danger or trying to achieve social progress in a country where the currency is seriously over-valued. Tho trade unions have won a sweeping victory, hut have not got much more than the British working man has received for years. Trench workers have for years been employed iu premises which British factory inspectors would not tolerate. The wage advance was won only after years of constant agitation and sullen acquiescence in a life on a subsistence level, yet, despite the bitterness of the struggle, (he strikers maintained perfect order, sweeping the factories, painting floors, repairing, aud plumbing. They even took up collections to repair a plate-glass window which was accidentally broken. , No outsiders were allowed to intervene, 170 women strikers in a one-price store repelling with a lire-hosc a number of young Fascists who attempted to enter.

“France’s Example Must Be Followed” INTERNATIONAL EFFECT OF iO-HOUR WEEK, GENEVA, June 1?. Mr Ernest Brown, British Minister of Labour, intervened at the International Labour Conference to oppose the draft convention for a 40-hour week in the textile industry. He said that by attempting to isolate hours of work from wages and other vital considerations the international Labour organisation was not helping real progress towards improving labour conditions. M. Jouhaux, Secretary of the French Federation of Labour, scathingly attacked Mr Brown’s speech and warned him that Governments, employers, and workers wero obliged, in defence of their own national economy, to close their frontiers against countries which did not apply the same conditions of labour, and also that their opposition would probably result in a revolt of their own workers, who would be encouraged to follow the French example.