FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22907, 15 June 1936, Page 9

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

FRENCH BILL PASSED STRIKE SITUATION IMPROVING (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) PARIS, June 12. The Chamber of Deputies passed the Forty-hour Week Bill by 385 votes to 175. A COMMUNIST'S ADVICE PARIS, June 12. Foreigners , were relieved to find waiters and other hotel and restaurant workers back to work this morning. Many visitors were unable to obtain food yesterday, and others returned to their hotel to* find the doors closed, and hffd the greatest difficulty in entering. Luxury hotels maintained only a skeleton service.

The department store strike continues, notwithstanding that a settlement was reached earlier in the week.

The employers at Nice closed every big store as a protest against workers occupying one of the more important shops. The Government is hopeful that the rapid passing of legislation will encourage strikers to resume work. The Communist leader, M. Thorez, addressing Paris Communists, declared that the workers must end the strike as soon as they had obtained their essential demands, and should compromise in order not to lose strength.

A RACE MEETING CANCELLED PARIS, June 12. The Government declares that the situation has improved. The strike in hotels and restaurants has been satisfactorily settled. The building trade strikers have been forbidden to parade, and no assemblies are permitted. A race meeting at St; Cloud was cancelled owing to the track workers striking.

STRIKE OF UNDERTAKERS AMIENS, June 13. Undertakers' employees struck, render ing funerals impossible. Lunatic asylum warders struck and left the director single-handed. The inmates of a factory deliberately set it on lire, but it was extinguished by firemen. AN IMPORTANT SETTLEMENT PARIS, June 13. (Received June 14, at 5.5 p.m.) The most important individual settlement was tho signature of a collective contract at the Ministry of the Interior by employers and employees in the metallurgical industry. A significant development was the occupation of all Paris town halls by armed mobile guards, who, however, are gendarmerie, not soldiers. The action resulted from a conference between M. Blum and Police Prefect La Geron, which determined on the preservation of order at all costs. M. Blum declared that the Deputies and the Government were determined to enforce public order in view of the impression that suspicious external influences were operating, resulting in increased nervousness and a tendency towards panic. The guarding of every strategic point in the city demonstrates the Government's anxiety to prevent rioting. Buglers of the mobile guards are on duty on the Montmartre and Drouot crossroads ready to sound the firing alarm, namely, three warning blasts, the neglect of which by-crowds produces a final blast, after which the guards will be legally entitled to fire. Similar tense conditions prevail in all great industrial areas. Many members of the Croix de Feu perambulated the streets on the pretence of preserving order, but the police refused their aid and arrested many. The Bourse is steady, but the franc depreciated from 76.28 to 70.39. STRIKERS RETURN TO WORK PARIS, June 13. (Received June 14, at 10 p.m.) The situation has greatly improved, and strikers everywhere are returning to work.

MOROCCO INFECTED PARIS, June 14. (Received June 14, at 10 p.m.) With the metal workers' dispute settled it is generally hoped that the back of the strike has been broken. The employees of the Citroen and Renault works have formally evacuated the factories. The Renault employees, dressed in carnival costumes, held a procession of flower-laden taxicabs, celebrating the Victory. There were similar demonstrations in many suburbs. Work generally will be resumed on Monday, although builders, painters, Parisian store assistants, insurance clerks and river canal boatmen are still standing out. Paris dockers came out, joining the boatmen. I'welve hundred employees at Nieuport Aeroplane Works have begun a " stay in " stoppage. The movement has spread to Morocco, where native sugar refiners and metal workers have struck.

STRIKES IN BELGIUM BRUSSELS, June 12. "Stay-in" strikers have occupied Belgium's principal arms factory, the Fabrique Nationale. at Leige. The Government is intervening to compel evacuation.

SITUATION IN BELGIUM GRAVE BRUSSELS, June 13. (Received June 14, at 10 p.m.) The strike fever is spreading, and the Government has mobilised a reserve corps of gendarmes to prevent occupation of factories. The strike situation is so prave that the King has urgently summoned M. Van Zceland to the palace again and asked him to try to form a Government. Paul Van Zeeland promised to do his utmost to have a Government by to-day which would "face the situation fearlessly." Tlic King personally appealed to the Catholic, Socialist and Liberal leaders to support M. Van Zealand. Troops have taken over police duties at Antwerp, where 15,000 dockers and l i!000 diamond cutters are on strike. The coal strike at Liege has spread to large fields around Mons.

NEW CABINET FORMED BRUSSELS, June 13. '(Received June 14, at 10 p.m.) Paid Van Zeeland has formed a Cabinet consisting of six Socialists, three Liberals nnd five Catholics. The Cabinet includes the Socialist leader M. Vandervelde as Vice-president of the Council. The programme, selected from the best of each party's programme at the recent election, aims at simplification of legislation on finance, completion of economic reconstruction, cleaning up politics, and control of munition works and monopolies, such as electricity. It will consider a demand for a 40-hour week, especially in dangerous and unhealthy trades, but M. van Zeeland urges that it should not be generally adopted until other industrial nations have internationally agreed on it.

VIOLENCE IN SPAIN xMADRID, June 12. Two Syndicalists were shot dead at Malaga in the course of SyndicalistCommunist rioting. The Socialists and Communists mostly returned to work, but the Syndicalists, still idle, maintain a violent attitude.

Later the ohief of police was shot dead, and two children were accidentally shot dead. The death roll for three days is 12. Xo newspapers have been issued for five days. Shock police will convey the Gibraltar mails to La Linea in armoured cars.

Four were killed in shooting affrays between Fascists and Communists at Burgos and Valladolid. A Fascist and a Communist were killed in a gun battle at Guiniel, and two people were fatally knifed at Olmedo.

CIVIL GUARD BEHEADED MADRID, June 13. (Received June 14, at 10 p.m.) Three Civil Guards were passing the Socialist headquarters in the village of Palenciana when the inmates rushed out and attacked them. They dragged one, named Manuel Jiminez, into the build ing, where he was maltreated end finally decapitated. The other guards attempted to force an entrance, exchanging shots and wounding several. Two were nent to hospital. Police reinforcements arrived and arrested 22. including the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, but the assailant who actually beheaded Jiminez escaped.