FACTORY-SEIZING IN ITALY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20043, 4 September 1920, Page 9

FACTORY-SEIZING IN ITALY.

WORKMEN IN REVOLT, INDUSTRIAL WORKS STORMED. By Tftlcgrftpli—Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cnblo Association, (Received Soptomlier 4, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 2. The Milan _ correspondent of the " Doily Chronicle ” says that the fac-tory-seizing movement is spreading through Itoly. Thousands of workors stormed the gates and scaled the vails of the Fiat motor works at Turin, which employ 10.000 hands. They also occupied the machinery shops of 'twenty other well-known automobile firms in Northern Italy Fortunately the majority of tho companies had taken the precaution to transfer money amt valuables, secretly in the night, from thoir own) strongrooms to 'tho banks. Red flags wore hoisted. Tho industrial works seized in Rome and Naples arc chiefly engaged in making tvamcars, electrical apparatus and armaments. The Workmen’s Committees are exercising stern discipline, and havo even constituted prisons inside the captured factories, in which recalcitrants are punished. In some places the workmen arc forcing lances in order to fight the military, if an attempt is made to dislodge them. The Government is averse to intervening, hut Signor Cahrilma, Minister of Labour, after consultation with tho Catholic Labour organisations, proposed a. formula of conciliation whereby the workers .shall take over the direct management of factories, through tho formation of societies of skilled managers and co-operative companies among the men, who will pay tho owners n rent based on the cost of the plant.