BRITISH RAILWAY STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17277, 29 September 1919, Page 6

BRITISH RAILWAY STRIKE

The action of the National Union of Railwaymen in peremptorily closing the negotiations with the Railway Executive Committee has already been followed by the stoppage of all trains in the United Kingdom, and may involve results of even greater gravity. Although this critical situation has developed with startling rapidity, it has its origin in demands which have been under discussion for months, and in tactics which the " triple alliance " of railwaymen, miners, and trannport workers have already tentatively employed. These three organisations entered into a compact last February not to initiate separate action, or to agree independently to settlement of any dispute, and the simultaneous demands for their national programmes" last March threatened a general strike. Moderate counsels prevailed, and agreements were raade to which the alliance gave its approval. The railwaymen asked for a national schedule of working conditions and the revision of wages on the basis of the permanent addition to the pre-war rates of the bonuses secured at various times during the war. Agreement was finally effected on the understanding that the present wages, including the bonuses, should be continued until December 31, the whole situation to be reviewed at the end of the year. These negotiations were resumed a few weeks ago, and, notwithstanding the fact that the Government has conceded the eight-hour day, with payment for overtime, and other material improvements in actual working conditions, and that the cost of living in Britain has fallen substantially during the past ten months, the National Union has insisted that the war-rate of wages must be the permanent standard. On its part, the Government has conceded the principle of standardising wages throughout the railway service, but, on the ground that the basic wage cannot be determined while abnormal conditions created by the war still prevail, has refused to accept the union's claim for the perpetuation of the war bonuses. The conciliatory spirit that was displayed by the Government's representatives in March has been preserved until the last, the latest offer to continue the last agreement for six months not only affording ample time for deliberate consideration, but also safeguarding the employees I against reduction of their earnings. j The extreme eh- Tent was in only a bare minority in March. Now it has

evidently borne down the advocates of peaceful negotiation and gradual progress, and is seeking to plunge the country into the turmoil of a general strike. In these circum stances, the Government is compelled to oppose with all its resources this challenge to constitutional methods. The railways are controlled by the State under a guarantee to the companies, so that the cost of all concessions must be paid by the taxpayers either by way of a subsidy from the Exchequer or in the form of higher fares and goods rates. As the custodians of the public interests it is the duty of the Government to resist demands which are considered unreasonable, and when unreasonable demands are enforced by unreasonable methods its position is doubly strengthened.