STRIKES IN BELGIUM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 17 June 1936, Page 7

STRIKES IN BELGIUM

*' COALMINING AND STEEL INDUSTRIES POLICE CHARGE WITH DRAWN SABRES (UDiLed Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 17th June, 9.20 a.m.) BRUSSELS, 16th June. The strike is general in the coalmining and steel industries. Strikers making an effort to prevent trams running at Liege repeatedly clashed with the police, who twice charged with drawn sabres. Three police were wounded by pistol shots in an affray which occurred at Rocour, a suburb of Liege. Three were seriously injured at Saint Walburge. while resisting an attack of 20 miners. The municipality withdrew trams following the strikers’ threat to set fire to them. SHOEMAKERS AND DOCKERS OUT (Received 17th June, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, 16th June. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Brussels correspondent says that troops working the electric supply services will also be drafted to other public utilities. Shoemakers to the number of 3500 struck at Mons. , They are demanding a pension of £SO annually at 60. Ghent dockers are joining the strikers. OIL REFINERY WORKERS QUIT

(Received 17th June,' 12.10 p.rn.) BRUSSELS, 16th June. Belgian strikers induced Ardennes workers to quit the oil refinery. . The standstill causes anxiety over national defence supplies, since the necessary daily quota of 11,000 tons is reduced to 4000. PUBLIC SYMPATHY (Received 17th June, 12.10 p.m.) LONDON. 16th June. “The Times” Brussels correspondent says the public generally sympathise with the strikers, especially the miners, who have suffered severely in the depression and the increased cost of living following revaluation of the franc. Their aims are Similar to the French strikers, nairiely, 10 per cent, increase in wages', -a 40-hour week, and paid for annual]^holidays. The incident precipitating the strike was an employer’ fining a miner onefifth of a day’s wages for a trivial offence. ' ' Twenty-one strikers were arrested at Liege.

IN FRANCE VESSELS HELD UP AT NANTES (Received 17th June, 9.30 a.m.) PARIS, 16th June. Sixteen vessels are held up in the Harbour of Nantes, where 15,000 ceased work. Department stores are closed and the building industry is at a standstill. Petrol refineries have stopped working, while department store and slaughterhouse workers at Lyons are still idle. '

GROWING IN MOROCCO (Received 17tff Jufie, 12.10 p.m.) CASABLANCA, 16th June. The strike movement is growing in Morocco. Building trade workers at Casablanca have occupied seventy yards. . ' : The metallurgical industry is affected.

AGITATORS IN ALGIERS (Received 17th June, 12.10 p.m.) ALGIERS, 16th June. Farmers are appealing for protection against bands of Arabs who are roaming * the countryside forcing labourers to cease woi'k and damaging the farms and livestock. Many of these agitators have been arrested. BILLS IN TIIE SENATE BIG ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE (Received 17th June, i 2.25 p.m.) PARIS, 16th June. The Senate has begun the debate on M. Blum’s strike bills, which are estimated to entail-, an expenditure of £18,600,000 a year. M. Jouhaux, General Secretary of the Trades Union Council declares that French labour has made up 20 years leeway in one night namely on 7th June. The union membership is now 2,600,000. The collective agreement affects 7,000,000 wage earners, of whom 80 per cent were previously ignorant of union organisation, necessitating extensive tutalage. Thirty-tv/o thousand of 50,000 are still idle in Paris and occupy department stores £V-d one-price shops. Employees of insurance companies, perfumers and leather goods houses are expected to resume to-morrow. The trouble is extending to Brittany. AT BARCELONA PRINTING TRADES AFFECTED (Received 17th June, 12.35 p.m.) BARCELONA, 16th Jufte: The printing trades, excluding newspapers, struck. The authorities are endeavouring to avert a strike of shop employees.

ADVICE TO SINGERS (Received 17th June, 10.25 a.m.) FREMANTLE, This Day. Mr Ivor C. Boustard, formerly chief study teacher of singing and voice production at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, who returned from abroad by the Strathnaver, said that many Australian and New Zealand singers went to England unprepared and unequipped to succeed. Many of them would be better advised to spend another two or three years in their own countries. They should not venture abroad unless they had sufficient money to last them at least three years.