TRADES UNIONS QUARREL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19625, 2 May 1927, Page 9

TRADES UNIONS QUARREL.

MODIFICATION OF BILL. LOCK-OUTS UNDER THE BAN. INTENTIONS OF GOVERNMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received May 1, 5.15 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, May 1. The statement is confirmed that the Government intends to make lock-outs as -well as strikes illegal under the Trades Unions Bill. The Earl of Birkenhead, Secretary of State for India, in a speech at Manchester, said the bill will be pressed and carried, subject to any reasonable modifications which would not affect its fundamental principles. He added: " We have taken on a great quam-I, but it is a just quarrel." OPPOSITION FIGHT. BRITISH LABOUR CAMPAIGN. DETERMINED STAND TAKEN. A. and N.Z.-Sun. LONDON, April 29. Six hundred delegates, representing 4,000,000 trades unionists, attended a conference of the Trader Union Congress convened to plan a campaign agr/nst the Trades Unions Bill. Mr. George Hicks, who pres. led, said that just as the Covenanters c_ old had bound themselves by oath to maintain the faith these present would pledge themselves to stand by the trades unions and tight the bill to the bitter end. The principal resolution carried was one which pledged the conference to work to frustrate " this malicious attack " and to drive the authors of the bill from power. The conference rejected an amendment to the effect that the general council should bo instructed to prepare for another general strike. The Daily Express says that in consequence of complaints to the effect that the bill is one-sided it understands the Government intends to make a general lock-out as illegal as a general strike. The paper says an amendment is being drafted. The central office of the Conservative Party lias issueu more than 750,000 leaflets expounding and defending the bill.