COMMUNISTIC STRIKE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19033, 10 June 1924, Page 9

COMMUNISTIC STRIKE

THE SHIPYARD LOCK-CUT. UNION LEADERS POWERLESS. MAURETANIA TOWED TO CHERBOURG. (From Correspondent, Otago Times). LONDON, April 17. Shipbuilding yards throughout the country have begun a lock-out of shipbuilding workers, and at least 100.00'0 men will be added forthwith to the number of unemployed. This is a drastic retaliation against the Communistic movement in Southampton. Some 6500 men struck work at the southern port, and set up their own committee, which was aided by

■’Comrades Gallacher and Pollitt. on behalf of the Red International of Labour Unions.” The executives of the various unions to which the strikers belong issued instructions to the men to return to work. This they failed to do. The Shipbuilding Employers’ Federation Committee met the officers of the Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades in London, and after discussion handed the officers of the federation the following statement:—“We regret that failure to resume work on the part of the Southampton men, in spite of the instructions sent to them by their respective executives, leaves us D o alternative but to let the loclt-out notices operate from to-night. It may be, as you say, that mass picketing has prevented certain of the trades from resuming, as they intended to do, and we agree protection should be afforded for the local authorities, and not for us. We are glad to hear that reports from Southampton indicate there will be a resumption on the part of several of the trades on Monday if proper protection is given. We can only add that we are prepared to withdraw tho lock-out notices in respect to any trade affected as soon as there is clear evidence of a general resumption of work on the part of the members of that trade at Southampton.” Some 14 trade unions are affected by the lock-out.

BLOW TO TRADE UNIONISM. It is maintained that if the union leaders mean to uphold the princple of collective bargaining, on which the whole system of trade unionism rests, they must be able to make themselves obeyed. In this particular case, it is said, they could have averted the lock-out by directing other workers in the unions affected to replace the mutinous men. Ono of the immediate results of the trouble was that the Mauretania, which was undergoing repairs, Was taken across to Cherbourg. When she left Southampton there were a number of loyal men on board who will help with the repairs in the French port. These men, who were on board when the vessel sailed, could not get through the yard gates to her, owing to mass picketing, but they did get on board. The firm desired to have tho work performed in this country, and kept the vessel at Southampton until it was seen that there was no chance of a resumption of work. As the vessel’s engines are out of action, p-rr of the repairs being renewal of the turbine blades, it was necessary to tow the Maure tania across the Channel. The five tugs used for the purpose were Dutch.

WORK OF INTIMIDATION. Here, therefore; was a British ship being towed away from a British port with some British workmen on her, to be repaired at a French port, largely by French labour,, and being towed by Dutch, not British, tugs. It is surely a strange example of how some British workmen try to keep British work for British hands 'When work is plentiful at Southampton a large number of men go there from Cowes. These Cowes men have wanted to resume work all the time and it was these who had agreed to go on the Mauretania to Cherbourg. They arrived at the landing stage at Southampton on the steam packet, but the Southampton men had heard of the development, and a picket, 50 strong, jumped oil the packet before the gangway was put on, because it was noticed that a launch had run across to the other side of the packet boat. The pickets captured four of the would-be workers, but the rest got on to the launch which steamed away. Most of the workers were on board the Maure taina overnight, others were transferred from steam packets out in the channel,, and others were taken to Cherbourg by different routes.

THREE DAYS’ FIGHT WITH GALE. The Mauretania entered Cherbourg roads after a momentous voyage from Southampton of 56 hours. Ringing cheers greeted the mammoth Cunarder in recognition of her successful fight with a heavy gale. Shipping in the roads sounded their sirens and rang their bells. The arrival was a triumph for Captain Rostron, who for 50 hours had remained on the bridge. Naval men at the French port were unanimous in asserting that his masterly seamanship alone saved the 30,000-ton liner from an ignominous fate.

A north-west wind was blowing as she slipped her moorings at Southampton, and there was every expectancy of a fair crossing. These hopes were, however, doomed to disappointment. The wind veered to the west, and grew rapidly in violence until finally it blew a gale. All Friday night and Saturday morning the Mauretania was vainly awaited at Cherbourg. At last, at 3 p.m., a wireless message from Captain Rostron was picked up announcing that the Mauretania was at that moment 15 miles north of Barfleur, and drifting towards the south-east. In view of

this disquieting fact,, he had decided to remain out at sea, to avoid the danger of running aground. The initial speed of five knots had slackened to one knot. Saturday afternoon passed without further tidings, and as night fell there was still no sign of the vessel arriving. Fears were expressed lest the tugs might run out of fuel, as they had been kept out at sea for over 30 hours. However, after 56 hours’ voyage, the liner entered Cherbourg roads in safety. MORAL OF THE STRIKE. “Forty-eight out of 52 vessels recently undergoing or awaiting repair at Rotterdam were British ships,” said Sir Thomas Royden, chairman of the Cunard Steamship Company, at their annual meeting at Liverpool yesterday. He added: “If these tactics are persisted in, it will be the end of collective bargaining.” There w r as a tendency* sai4 Sir Thomas, on the part of the local branches of trades unions to disregard the authority of the General Executives and to act independently, in defiance of the instructions and advice of headquarters. In part, no doubt, these manifestations of insubordination were due to local jealousies and local ambitions; in part, also, to a feeling that the local conditions were not always sufficiently considered by the men’s representatives when negotiating with the employers. It was not improbable that the development of the political side of trades unionism had to some extent reduced its influence over its members, and that the amalgamations of various unions into a few very large bodies had weakened the sense of unity and loyalty in the individual members. The reduction in the dividend from 71 per cent, to 5 per cent, might per haps be a disappointment to some of the shareholders, but while it was not unreasonable to hope for better times in the future, they would agree with him it was the first duty of the board to maintain the company in a really strong financial position.