ATTITUDE OF LABOUR. SKIRMISH ON FRONTIER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19328, 15 May 1926, Page 11

ATTITUDE OF LABOUR.

SKIRMISH ON FRONTIER

TERMS OF RESUMPTION. HONOURABLE PEACE SOUGHT. VICTIMISATION ALLEGED. AN APPEAL TO EMPLOYERS. By Telegraph—Presu Association—Copyright. A. and N.Z. LONDON. May 13. The attitudo of the Trade Union movement, following the calling off of the strike, is set out in an official statement issued to-day. The council of the Trades Union Congress held a prolonged session, after which the spokesman issued a statement saying:—"We called off the strike in the confidence that the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, meant what he rsaid when he asked for a resumption of negotiations towards an honourable peace. This, however, depends on employers abstaining from victimisation. If the latter is continued the effect will be that unions will be compelled to offc the most stubborn resistance, and the whole purpose expressed by the Prime Minister would, if that occurred, be rendered null and void.

"If Mr. Baldwin meant what lie said then the Government must stop this attack 011 trades unionism and demand that employers should abstain from victimisation. Unless these obligations are fulfilled trades unions will have 110 alternative but to resist to the uttermost, and their resisting capacity is unimpaired. Desire for Reciprocity.

"We need acts and not words. If work is to be resumed employers who imagine that the calling off of the strike has meant the failure of the trades union movement they are making the mistake of their live:,. In calling it off we looked for reciprocity. It was not evidence of weakness, but a desire for peace on terms honourable to the whole movement. "If Mr. Baldwin will use all his influence to see that 110 employer tries to victimise and humiliate men peace might lie saved. If not, let there be no mistake, for trades unions are not suing for mercy. We are prepared to make peace as man to man. The only alternative to a grave situation is that peace shall lie honourably kept by both sides."

The council of the Trades Union Congress has circularised unions urging men to sign no ind vidual agreement but to consult with the union officials and stand by their instructions. The circular adds: "Your union will protect you and will insist that all previous agreements arc maintained intact." Maintaining Agreements. The circular declared that it was imperative that agreements undertaking to provide the conditions existing prior to the dispute should be maintained. The council had received many reports of attempts to enforce humiliating terms, but if trades unionism was attacked and employers persisted in victimisation, the unions would resist to the uttermost.

After a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, at which Mr. Ramsay MacDonald presided, a statement was issued protesting against the way the Press had provocatively and inaccurately described the action of the council of the Trades Union Congress as an unconditional surrender.

The statement also protested against the fact that employers in various industries were defying the Prime Minister's appeal by seeking to impose unwarrantable terms on the workers. It was decided to press the Prime Minister immediately to make a statement regarding the real meaning of his declaration of goodwill.

As a result of a formal demand presented after this meeting, Mr. Baldwin agreed to a strike debate in the House to-night.

LESSONS OF THE STRIKE

CIVIL WAR PERIL DEFEATED. VICTORY FOR LAW AND ORDER. (Received 5.5 p.m.) g un . PARIS. May 13. The newspaper Liberie declares that tho British strike has resulted in the breakdown of socialism, the effect of which will bo felt far beyond Britain. The newspaper Ere Nouvelle comments ; " The British Government acted not as a strike breaker but as a destroyer of civil war." The paper adds that if the social order of Britain had been unable to cope with the danger the whole cause of law and order in Europe would have been jeopardised. BITTERNESS IN RUSSIA. " FUTURE GREAT FIGHTS." Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. (Reed. 6.5 p.m.) MOSCOW. May 13. Tho Soviet press contains most bitter outbursts against the, calling off of the British strike. M. Zinovieff says that Thomas, MacJkmald, Snowden and Henderson have again betrayed the workers, but that the strike has played a gigantic role as a dress rehearsal for future great fights. MINERS SENT TO PRISON. INTERFERED WITH TRANSPORT A. and N.Z. LONDON. May 13. Sixty-eight miners at Poncaster were sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour for interfering with road transport. Tho leader was given an additional two months' imprisonment and was fined £2O.

YUGOSLAVIA AGGRIEVED. NOTE SENT TO BULGARIA. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. (Kecd. 9.55 -p.m.) b'OFIA, May 13. Complications arc expected owing to a vigorous Note which has been received from Yugoslavia charging Bulgaria with responsibility for a frontier skimish at Strumnitza in which two people were killed and 17 wounded. Bulgaria denies complicity in the affair.