FIERCE STRUGGLE AHEAD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 13, 6 April 1927, Page 1

FIERCE STRUGGLE AHEAD

CHALLENGE TO TRADE UNIONISM

GOVERNMENT BILL TO LIMIT STRIKES

Regarded as a challenge to the entire Labour movement the Trade Dispute and Trade Unions Bill, which has passed its first reading in the House of Commons, has roused the fiercest opposition in the ranks of British Labour. The bill makes sympathy strikes illegal, prohibits picketing and removes trade unions fr«m political obligations.

By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 11.20 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. Labour’s internal differences have been pushed into the background and all shades of opinion from Mr. Ramsay MacDonald to Mr. A. J. Cook are united in their opposition to the Government proposals contained in the Trade Dispute and Trade Unions Bill, read a first time in the House of Commons last evening. The first indication of consolidated opposition was when the Defence Committee of the Trade Union Council asked the Congress to convene a special conference to discuss the Bill. In the meantime industrialist Labour leaders are conferring with the Labour Parliamentary Party for the purpose of fighting the Bill every inch of the way. In the House of Commons Mr. MacDonald describes the Bill as the most dangerous expression of class war ever known. Mr. J. R. Clynes: It is 20 times worse than I ever thought it could be. It has brought down with a crash all the recent efforts to produce a feeling of goodwill in industry.’ It is a first-class gift of the best material to : the Communists for stirring up trouble in industry. DECLARATION OF WAR Mr. Cook regards the Bill as a definite declaration of war on the whole of the Labour movement, political and industrial, and will create greater conflict than that of last year. Mr. J. H. Thomas says that the Government has united Labour. Mr. Walter Citrine, Trade Union Congress secretary, says that the entire working class is united to oppose ?. dangerous attack. Plans are maturing for a vigorous campaign throughout the country. Leaders of civil servants and post office employees are equally bitter. It is declared that it may be found that such bitterness is engendered in the country by the violence of the measure that the Government may tate to enforce the proposals. Though the official Liberal view is not yet fully considered there is a tendency of individual Liberals to regard the Bill as not being in accord with Mr. Baldwin’s plea for peace in industry. They feel that such a far-reaching measure should be referred to a Royal Commission representative of the views of all parties concerned. SOME OF THE MEASURES The measure stipulates that any strike having any object other than the furtherance of a trade dispute within the industry in which the strikers are engaged is illegal. If a strike is designed or calculated to coerce the Government, or to intimidate a substantial portion of the community, the Bill lays down a penalty of two years’ imprisonment for the instigators and participators. The measure forbids intimidatory picketing and prohibits the picketing of non-strikers’ residences under a penalty of £2O and three months’ imprisonment. The Bill makes it illegal to require a trade unionist to contribute to a political fund unless he specifically agrees to do so in writing, and the political funds of a trade union must be kept separate from its ordinary funds. Civil servants are forbidden under the Bill to belong to trade unions which cater for non-civil servants or are affiliated to organisations the federation of the membership of which is not confined to persons employed under the Crown or which have political objects. NO PREFERENCES Finally, local and other public authorities are forbidden to make employment conditional upon membership of a trade union, or in any way to favour trade union employees. The Bill lays down a penalty of £lO or three months’ imprisonment for a

breach of contract of service with a local or a public authority. The provisions of the measure are not to apply to Northern Ireland. Before the Labour members of the House saw the Bill they decided to fight it line by line. Since seeing the text their determination has been intensified.

The Bill is far more comprehensive than was anticipated even by the Conservative Press. There is but one opinion among the Labour members, says the “Daily Telegraph,” namely, that it “opens a battle royal.” The second reading is not expected to be moved before Easter, but Labour is already preparing a joint national campaign by the political and industrial sections of the party. Conservative opinion cordially approves the Bill. The Liberal papers—the “Daily Chronicle” and “Daily News” —do not comment on it. INTIMIDATION The political correspondent of the Labour paper, the “Daily Herald,” says he regards the clause headed “Prevention of intimidation” as probably the most contentious. He says it imposes such restrictions on picketing as to leave the courts free to declare almost any sort illegal. In this connection it may be stated that the Bill defines intimidation as meaning “to cause in a person’s mind a reasonable apprehension of injury to him or to any member of his family, or damage to his property.” Injury includes physical injury, boycott, loss of any kind or exposure to hatred, ridicule or contempt. In a leading article the “Herald” says:—“This amazing measure has been introduced without a mandate. The Government dare not submit it to a general election. It is not even the fruit of consideration by a Royal Commission. It is purely an irresponsible measure fomented by the Tory organisation supplemented by kindred organisations and the employers, and plotted in the Cabinet while Mr. Baldwin has been making hypocritical speeches about goodwill and peace in industry. “The Government has made its own doom doubly sure. The Bill will lead to such a revival of working-class activity that Mr. Baldwin and his associates will have cause to regret their stupidity.” Mr. Arthur Henderson, M.P., says the Bill is a direct attack upon trade unions. It is a challenge to the workers.—A. and N.Z.