LABOUR IN BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19135, 1 April 1924, Page 7

LABOUR IN BRITAIN

WIDESPREAD UNREST. - Oi, CLAIMS FOR HIGHER WAGES. MANY INDUSTRIES AFFECTED. Vtcm By Tol««T»ph—Copyri«sl LONDON, March 31. (Received March 31, at 9 p.m.) There is intense anxiety in London regarding the result of the ballot of the tram and omnibus strikers, though the tone of the speeches at the meetings on (Sunday gives hope that the men are prepared to accept the settlement. Unfortunately similar troubles are threatening in many directions. The Daily Herald states that in section after section of industry demands for higher wages are reaching a crisis. In the mines and in the building, engineering, and woollen trades unrest, bred of insufficient wages, is crystallising into official claims. Over 2,000,000 workers are concerned. In the meantime the employers are preparing for another attack. This time the ■ object is to bring down the wages of tho “sheltered” trades —that is, inland transport railways, postal workers, and civil servants —to tho level against which tho “unsheltered’’ are in revolt. The Daily Herald sums up the workers immediately affected by the demand for higher wages aa* follows: Mining 800,000 Building 720,000 Shipyards 100,000 Engineering 500,000 Textiles 50,000 , Trams ... 17,000 Other trades 50,000 —A. and N-Z- Cable. END OF TRAFFIC STRIKE. MB BEVIN CLAIMS A VICTORY. ' LONDON, March 30. As an indication of the probable favourable result of the tram and bus workers ballot, a crowded meeting of strikers in London applauded Mr Bevin’s speech in which he described the terms as a great victory, but hinted at the necessity for moderation in order not to embarrass the . labour Government, which snarling dogs were trying to turn out on this issue. Ho declared that if Mr Baldwin had been in power he would have been faced with oven mote hitter strikes.-—Reuter. COLO STORAGE WORKERS. HIGHER WAGES DEMANDED. LONDON, March 30. The Thames Cold Storage workers threatened to go on strike this week failing a settlement of a dispute arising from a complaint by the workers that the cold storage employers are not honouring the national wages agreement. The demands mainly concern the wages of night workers. The employers offered an increase of 10s a week, which was refused.—Reuter. LEITH COAL TRIMMERS. NATIONAL STRIKE THREATENED. '■ LONDON, March 31. (Received March 31, at 9 p.m.) of coal trimmers at Leith threatens to affect all ports in Britain. It commenced a week ago, and other Firth of Forth, ports soon intervened. Now the trimmers have been ordered to resume work pending headquarters making the Leith dispute a national question.—A. and N.Z. Cable. TROUBLE AT CROYDON. THREAT TO REDUCE PILOTS’ WAGES. LONDON, March 31. (Received March 31, at 8.5 p.m.) The pilots and mechanics employed in connection with civil aviation at the Croydon aerodrome threaten a wages strike. A combine including the Daimler, Handley-Page, and Instono Companies propose drastic cuts from the present rates under \which pjipts are paid £450 to £550 a yeaC, plus IDs an hour. A pilot who earns - ’ £BSO thus travels 60.000 miles a year. The combine proposes £IOO to £2OO a year, plus 2d a mile, under which scale a pilot flying 60.000 miles would receive only £6OO to £7OO a year. The aviators have formed a trade union which Mr Ben Tillett and others leaders of the Transport Workers’ Union addressed threatening to stop all aeroplane traffic on Tuesday unless the combine climbs down. The combine receives a subsidy of £1,000.000 spread over a de-cade.—-A. and N.Z. Cable.