24-HOUR STRIKE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 29 November 1938, Page 5

24-HOUR STRIKE

TO BEGIN AT MIDNIGHT PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES BY GOVERNMENT fU.P.A. — B.v Electric Telegraph—Copyright! (Received 29th November. 11.45 a.m.) PARIS, 28th November. It is now regarded as certain that a ! 24-hour strike will begin to-morrow i at midnight. A General Confederation ; of Labour meeting to-night reaffirmed | the decision and examined details be- j fore enforcement of the decision. Members of the executive stated that j reports of a compromise under which I the strike would be called off if Par- i liament was summoned immediately are I without foundation. The main trial of strength between ] the Confederation and the Government will unquestionably occur at Paris, where the decisive and psychological factor will be the Government’s ability or inability to maintain the transport services. The Government has at present 49,000 men available in and around the city for the maintenance of order, consisting of 12,000 plain-clothed police. 3000 Republican Guards and 15,000 troops. UNIONS OPPOSING STRIKE Though the Confederation claims 5.000.000 members there are numerous independent unions opposing the strike. For instance, the Confederation of Christian Workers numbering 500.000, and the French Labour Confederation numbering 120.000. Work was resumed at several big aircraft factories, which are a month behind in the output schedule, but the men declare they will come out on 30th November for a day. F ive thousand workers in the ship- ! yards at Dunkirk struck in sympathy with the steel workers, resulting in work on five warships being held up. Over 20.000 metal workers in the Valenciennes district are still idle. Most of the 30.000 workers at the Renault factory in Paris, which is engaged on military work, were dismissed and told they must apply again RAILWAY SERVICE .M. Daladier partly countered the railwaymen's decision not to run trains between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. on 30th November by requisitioning underground railways. According to indications train services will be partly or fully maintained, and national and underground railways similarly. Motor bus services and postal services will remain normal, including long-distance telephony. Broadcasting will be carried on. Banks and insurance offices, stores and small shops will remain open, also cinemas, theatres and other • amusements, the Artists’ Union having decided against a strike. Hotels, cafes and restaurants are not affected. Leaders in Paris newspapers state that the workers decided against a strike on the ground that the non-ap-pearance of newspapers would constitute an infringement of the liberty of the press, but compositors unexpectedly voted to cease work on the evening of 29th November, which, if effective, will result in no papers on the morning of 3Cth Nevember. CAUSE OF TROUBLE The Federation of Trade Unions itself arranged for the maintenance of gas. water and electricity services. The Government by telegraph warned provincial Government and municipal employees against striking under penalty of dismissal. The Federation in a letter to M. Daladier regarding its decision to carry out the strike, says it is not revolutionary, political, or against the Government’s foreign policy. It denies that the workers are under foreign influence, and declares it is due to the suppression of the forty hour week with-* cut discussion. The letter concludes: “If disorders occur they will not originate from our side. Work will be resumed on Ist December and your illegal mobilisation cannot make any difference.” 45,000 RESUME WORK ru Pi Kv El Win. | •*!»*« i h |it. (Received 29th November, 9.28 a.m.) PARIS, 28th November. M. Daladier again conferred with military and civil chiefs regarding the endorsement of laws against a general strike. Meanwhile no incidents occurred throughout the country. Fortyfive thousand miners, chemical workers and engineers resumed work at Lille and Valenciennes.