TRADE UNION CONGRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17726, 10 September 1919, Page 5

TRADE UNION CONGRESS

. «£* THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. POLBTSGAL STRIKES CONDEMNED. NECESSSTY FOR INCREASED OUTPUT. Preee Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, September 8. (Received Sept. 9, at 8.5 p.m.) The Trade Union Congress, of 850 delegates, representing 5,255,426 men .and women, has opened at Glasgow. This is double tho pre-war membership. Mr Bunning, in his presidential address, said tho Russian war was thoroughly unpopular with the working classes, and the British Government wu.s running a grave risk in ignoring that fact. Deprecating sectional strikes, ho said ho did not believe that industrial strikes were for political purposes. The Trade Union Congress had never fully accepted the policy. There was no reform which tho people of Britain could not obtain by tho ballot box. Political strikes were a confession of failure. "Greater production could not be obtained by screeching ' slackers' at the workmen," said Mr Bunning. "We must have an increased output, but only by the co-operation of the employers and workmen. Tho latter are willing to do their share." The congress had not weakened on the question of tho nationalisation of mines _ The President deplored the lack of discipline in the Labour movement. The Parliamentary Committee had wasted precious time in settling unnecessary disputes between unions and unofficial strikers' disputes arising out of repudiation of agreements. Mr Bunning concluded bv appealing for the employment of constitutional methods, on which a Labour Government, like any other Government, must rely.