French Government Wins The Battle For Coal Mines

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 November 1948, Page 5

French Government Wins The Battle For Coal Mines

Now Engaged Fighting Communists To Control The Ports (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright.) LONDON, Oct. 30 (Rec. 6 pm).—lt is now clear the French Government has in effect won the battle for the pitheads and a trial of strength with the Communist Party is being waged in the ports, says Reuter’s Paris correspondent.

Police and troops have com- ( pleted the occupation of 80 peri cent, of the idle coal-mines and control half in the greatest I trouble area in the north. The, miners are returning to work in ever increasing numbers. I Ships with coal cargoes are being’ diverted to Antwerp and coal sent by rail to France. More than 4,000,000. tons have been lost in the 26 days o£ the strike. j The Government has severely cut > passanger train schedules to help counter the loss. French troops have begun unloading two British coal, ships at Rouen. The British United Press Paris correspondent says the Prime Minister. Mr Queuille, and his chief economic advisers, met representatives of employers and non-Communist la- I bour unions in a round table conference aimed at fixing a new balance between prices and wages. A com-; munique issued after the conference said the Government refused to consider an increase in wages beyond the 15 per cent, granted in September. The Government’s financial advisers insisted any further general increase would undermine the pain-I fully achieved balancing of this year's i Budget. The communique announced higher prices for sugar, fats, oil and other basic food items and promised cuts in clothing prices, wine and butter It I added that these price adjustments’ were final moves to a new price wage I level and left the workers with six ■ per cent, more purchasing power | than in August and 15 per cent, more , than in February. 1947. 1

■ As a result of the new price ad- ' justments. the Government is faced with the threat of a non-Communist offensive against its wage prices : policy before it gains control of the , Communist campaign in the ports I and coalfields The general secretary of the non-Communist Confederation of Labour (M Jouhaux) I said: "We are not satisfied with the gap between prices and wages which remains.”

M. Jouhaux’s deputy said: “It is always the same people who are called to make sacrifices." The Christian Trade Union Federation said: “We cannot agree to the new price wage level proposed by the Government.”

The Production Minister. M Lacoste, cancelled a broadcast he was to have made appealing to the miners to return• to work and explaining the wage concessions granted them. The Council of the Communist Iron and Steel Workers’ Federation called its 1,000,000 members to fight for higher wages and to remain mobilised against the rising cost of living. It declared: “Iron and steel workers will never become General Marshall’s foot soldiers.” The Communist Textile Workers’ Union issued an ultimatum to employers for a wage increase by Friday at the latest. Reliable reports state that the Government is preparing a big scale purge of Communists in the civil service and the armed forces

Reuter's Prague correspondent says that Czechoslovakian trade unions promised at least £lOO,OOO sterling to aid the striking French miners. The largest single contribution is £60,000 from the building trade organisation.