STRIKE AFTERMATH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21210, 3 December 1938, Page 11

STRIKE AFTERMATH

BITTER FEELING IN FRANCE Reprisals Against Workers Thousands Remain Idle Factories Still Under Guard United press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, December 1. The aftermath of the strike is proving bitter for the thousands who obeyed the Union leaders. Many big employers throughout the country contend that the strike was a rupture of the collective agreement entailing dismissal and re-engagement 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 to acquire seniority. Lock-outs have been proclaimed in many works factories until this situation is cleared up. Strikers in some industries were summarily dismissed and the result is a strained atmosphere in a number of large industrial towns, where the police and mobile guards are still guarding the factories. Dismissed strikers at Grenobles, numbering 2500, fought through a cordon of police and did considerable damage to the works. The Admiral in charge of the I’Orient arsenal has ordered the dismissal of 3000 workers, who must apply for reengagement. Tire strikers at the naval arsenal at Brest have lost two days’ pay and 10,000 workers in the naval shipyards at Saint Nazaire unexpectedly struck this afternoon because of the authorities refusing to re-engage some men alleged to be agitators. Roubaix workers, demonstrating against the new contract, have agreed to submit to Government arbitration 3000 men, allegedly agitators or pickets, who were dismissed in the Toulouse district. A number of aeroplane and metal works at Marseilles have not reopened. Twelve hundred demonstrators marched against Raismes, stoning the guards who used the butts of their rifles until reinforcements drove off the attackers. M. Jouhaux, Secretary-General of the Federation of Labour, affirms that the Confederation will pursue its policy until the decrees against the workers are withdrawn. Civil Servants Dismissed The Premier (M. Daladier), after a conference with the Minister of Justice and others, has issued a communique, which after stating that a strike in the Public Services, though small, cannot go unpunished, cancels the appointments held in the Bank of France, the railways and other State organisations of State officials who disobeyed the requisition order, and dismisses a few civil servants and assistants belonging to the general administration and suspends the pay of others, pending a final decision. .

It is understood that after this order M. Jouhaux, who is director of the Bank of France, and M. Semard, secretary of the Railwaymen's Union, who 1s a director of the National Railways, are to be dismissed from these posts. It was M. Leon Blum when Prime Minister, who appointed M. Jouhaux Director of the Bank of France. The metal-workers are still out at Dunkirk and Valenciennes, but the situation throughout France is reported to be almost normal. Forty men were arrested at Valenciennes yesterday and six to-day were sentenced to imprisonment varying from 21 to 45 days.

Employers have instituted sanctions against the strikers, locking out men who were desirous of resuming.

At Valenciennes the strikers attacked and injured several Belgians who were crossing the frontier to resume work. The Lille textile workers, after being refused permission to enter the works, stormd the factories and were later evacuated by the police and mobile guards. Several Denain strikers were injured by guards using their rifle butts. EXTENSIVE LOCK OUTS BOULOGNE DOCKERS OUT ON STRIKE United Press Association—By Eleetrlr. Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 2. 6.30 p.m.) PARIS, December 1. Dockers at Boulogne struck when told that they had broken their contracts. Shipping except the cross Channel service is held up. National Defence quarters express the opinion that the dismissals of Government workers will not exceed 18,000 to 21.000. They admit extensive lockouts in private industries. The dismissal of M. Johaux and the union leaders from State positions angered the workers organisations and it is feared would provoke further strikes. The Confederation of Labour issued a communique protesting at the excess reprisals which are risking disorders. Six hundred thousand workers are still striking throughout France. An Independent Cable message states that strike action against 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 provisionally. The management also refused to receive delegations from the workers. Construction has been held up on the 35,000 ton liner Pasteur, and the battleship Jean Dart. Parliament To Be Summoned M. Daladier has decided to summon Parliament on December 8, subject to

the Finance Committee’s examination of the Budget being sufficiently advanced. Consequently, the Socialists have cancelled their meeting, which was arranged for December 2. Th Minister of Finance (M. Reynaud), in a speech at the American Club, dealt optimistically With the financial position and stressed the fact that capital is flowing back to France. “Events yesterday do not signify a social landslide,” he said. “We want to obtain goodwill, not lifeless resignation. Democracy cannot exist without agreement from a great majority and a national reconciliation is necessary for the success of our great enterprise.”