STILL UNREST

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1938, Page 7

STILL UNREST

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

WORKERS IN FRANCE EXTENSIVE LOCK-OUTS SUMMARY DISM1SSALS CONFLICTS WltH POLICE ■ — — . i;

Rec. 11.10 pjm. Paris, Dec. 1. The aftermath of the French general strike is proving bitter for thousands who obeyed -the union leaders. Many big employers throughout the country contend that the strike was a rupture of a collective agreement, ' entuiling the dismissal and re-engagement of workers under a new contract. The workers refuse to agree to this, on the ground that they thus lose the right to 12 days' paid holiday and must begin afresh ot acqujre seniority. Lockouts have been pfoclaimed at many works and factories until the sltuation 18 cleared up. . The strikers ln some todustrles Were summarlly dlsmissed. The result ls a stralned atmosphere ln a number at large industrial towns, where the police and tooblle guards are stlll guarding the factories. Dlsmissed strikers numbering 2500 at Grenbbles fought through a cordon of police and did considerable damage to the works. Sanctlons Instituted. The employers have ihstituted sanctions against the strikers and have dismissed men desirous of resuming. Arsenal, tramway and factoty eniployees and metal workers were dismissed and told to apply again. Action against the reprisals has already started at St. Nazaire, where 10,000 naval and civil Shipyard workers struck after an announcement by the management that those who participated in the general strike will only be re-employed provisionftlly. The management also refused to receive delegations from the workers. Construction is held up on the 35,000-ton liner Pasteur and the battleship Jean D'Arc. Strikers at Valenciennes attacked and injured several Belgians who were crossinig the frontier to reSume work. _ ■Lille textile workers, after being refusod permission to cnt6r tshc works, stormed Ihe factories. They were later. ■.*i«««tiiii(iiitfiiiiiiiaiiitnMBiiiaiiiiiiiMaiiliiiitifi>

evacuated by police and mobile guards. Several strikers at Denain were injured by guards using rifle butts. M. Daladier, Prime Minister, stated that he was summonihg Parliament on December 8. An indication of the Government's policy was given by M. Reynaud, Minister of Finance, in a speech at a luncheon. "The events yesterdey do not sjgnify a social landslide," he said. "We Want to obtain goodwill, not lifelesa resignation. :A democracy cannot exiet without an agreement froih the great majority. National reconcjliation is necessary for the succese of our great enierprise." . Metal Workers Stlll Out. Metal Workers are stlll oiit at Dunkirk and Valenciennes but the situation throughout France is reported to be almost normal. Forty were avrested at Valenciennes yesterdajr and six tOrday were senteneed to imprisonment, varying from 21 to 45 days. Dock workers at Boulogne struck when toid they had broken their contracts. Shipping, except for cross-channel gervices, is held up. National Defence headquarters express the Opinion that dismissals of Government workers do, not exceed 18,000 to 21,000. They admit extensive lock-outs in prAate industries. The admiral ln charge of the Lorient arsenal ordered the dismissal of 3000 men, who must apply for re-engagement. Strikers at the naval arsenal at Brest lost two days" pay. Ten thousand workers at the naval shlpyards at Salnt Nazaire unexpectedly struck ln the afternoon owing to the authorities ref using to re-engage some men, allegedly agitators. Govemment Arbitration. Roubaix workers demopstrated against a new contract, but agreed to submlt lt to Qovernment arbitration. Three thousand men, allegedly agitators or pickets, were dismissed ln the Toulouse district. A number of aeroplane metal works at Maraeilles have not reopened. Twelve hundred demonstrators marched against Raismes, stonlng the guards, who.used the butts of their rifles tintil reinforcements drove off the attackers. M. Jouhaux, secretary-general of the Trades Unlon executive, afflrms that the confederatlon wlil pursue Its policy untll the decrees against the workers are withdrawn. M. Daladier, Prime Minister, after a conference with the Minister of Justice and others, issued a communique which, after statlng that the strike in public services, though small, cannot go unpunished, cancels appointmerits held ln the Bank of France, the railways and other State organisations; of State officials who disobeyed the requisitlon order, dismlsses a few civil servants and assistants belonging to the general administration and suspends the pay of others pending a final decision. It ls understood M. Jouhaux, who ls a director of the Bank of France, and M. Samard, secretary of the Railwaymen's' Unlon, who is a director of the national railways, are dlsmissed from these posts.