FRENCH STRIKES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26917, 1 November 1948, Page 5

FRENCH STRIKES

TROOPS GAIN CONTROL COAL MINES OCCUPIED GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATES WITH WORKERS N.Z.P.A.—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 30. It is now clear that French Government has in effect won the battle for the pitheads and the trial of strength with the Communist Party being waged 'in the ports, says Reuter's Paris correspondent. Police and troops have completed the occupation of 80 per cent, of the idle coal mines and control half in the greatest trouble area, in the north. The miners are returning to work in ever-increasing numbers, and ships with coal cargoes are being diverted to Antwerp and the coal sent bv rail to France. More than 4,000.000 tons have been lost in the 26 days of the strike. The Government has severely cut passenger train schedules to help counter the loss. French troons have begun unloading two Briwsh coal ships at Rouen. The British United Press correspondent in Paris says the Prime Minister. Dr Henri Queuille, and his chief economic advisers, met representatives of the employers and non-Communist labour unions in a round-table conference aimed at fixing a new balance between prices and wages. A communique issued after the conference said the Government refused to consider an increase in wages beyond the 15 per cent, granted in September. The Government’s financial advisers insisted that any further general increase would undermine the painfullyachieved balancing of this year’s Budget. The communique announced higher prices for sugar, fats, oil and other basic food items, and promised to cut clothing prices, wine and butter. It added that these price adjustments were the final moves to a new price and wage level, and left the workers with 6 per cent, more purchasing power than in August and 15 per cent, more than in February, 1947,

As the result of the new price adjustments, the Government is faced with the threat of a non-Communist offensive against its wages and prices policy before it gains control of the Communist campaign in the ports and coalfields. The general secretary of the NonCommunist Confederation of Labour said: “We are not satisfied with the gap between prices and wages which remains.” His deputy said: “It is always the same people who are called to make sacrifices.” The Christian Trade Union Federation said: “ We cannot agree to the new price and wage level proposed by the Government.” The Production Minister, M. Robert Lacoste, cancelled the broadcast he was to have made appealing to thfe miners to return to work and explaining the wage concession granted to them. The Council of the Communist Iron and Steel Workers’ Federation called its 1,000,000 members to fight for higher wages and to remain mobilised against the rising cost of living. It declared: “ The iron and steel workers will never become General Marshall’s footsoldiers.” The Communist Textile Workers’ Union issued an ultimatum to the employers for a wage increase by November sat latest. Reliable reports state that the Government is preparing a big-scale purge of Communists in the civil service and armed forces. Reuter’s Prague correspondent says the Czechoslovak trade unions promised at least £IOO,OOO to aid the striking French miners. The largest single contribution is £60,000 from the building trade organisation. A Ministry of the Interior spokesman announced that 212 Republican Security Guards, 77 Mobile Guards and police, and 15 soldiers have been injured since the coal strike clashes began. The Ministry also announced that up to yesterday there had been 712 arrests in strike incidents, of which 341 were made yesterday. Six hundred and twenty-six persons were still in prison, and 52, who were foreigners, nave been expelled from France. The only real assistance to-day was at Carvin', in the Lille area, where several hundred miners were barricaded behind iron gates. During the day soldiers and police drove pickets from about 20 other mines. They met little resistance. Four hundred mobile guards captured the Couriot mine in St. Etienne, which is the biggest in Central France. About 3000 miners were holding out behind barricades, but only six were captured. It is reported that the mine is badlv flooded. The French coal strike was directed by Moscow and might be the Communists’ last desperate effort to block European recovery, said Mr Paul Hoffman, the Economic Co-operation Administrator, according to a message from Washington. Mr Hoffman, who has just returned .from Europe, said that although the Communists might still try to hamper European recovery after the strike, their ability to interfere would wane. He added: “The trend is against them. It has reversed.”