SHOP COMMITTEES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24825, 27 January 1942, Page 6

SHOP COMMITTEES

PLAN FOR BRITISH WORKS (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 25. Two hundred branch delegates to the Trades Union Congress, representing all classes of industry in south and west Wales, held a meeting in Swansea and considered a plan for the recognised establishment of shop committees. with full co-operation between workers and employers. Mr Conley, who visited Moscow in the autumn, described this as the first big move in working out the establishment of a British and Soviet Union Committee. It was applicable to the whole of the trades union movement, and the views of delegates had been represented to Cabinet. He declared ther® was abundant evidence that production had been held up owing to stiff-necked, idiotic managerial control. On the other hand, there were enlightened managements in many workshops where shop committees were operating and production had increased.

“The Russians are prepared to sacrifice wages, hours, and working conditions as the price of victory, and it is expected that British workers will do the same,” said the Trades Union Congress chairman, Mr Frank Wolstencroft, in a speech at the Trade Union Conference. He said he had visited one Russian factory working three shifts and employing 25,000 people, 65 per cent, of whom were women. Sir Walter Citrine said reports by the Soviet delegates now in Britain on British war factories would not all be flattering to the British. The delegates had seen shortcomings in British factories, and were convinced that without the maximum production throughout Britain it would be impossible to implement the pledges made to Moscow on behalf of Britain. M. Shvernik, leader of the Russian delegation, had said that Britain was doing well, but production was not ideal. There wfere unused reserves which, if mobilised, would considerably increase the output of tanks, planes, and munitions. They found production highest where shop stewards were giving the closest attention to it.