LABOUR UNREST.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16435, 31 January 1919, Page 8

LABOUR UNREST.

THE PRINCIPAL CAUSES

(By Cubic— Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and I'.A. Cable Association.) LONDON, January 2S. Tlip Labou.- correspondent of "Tiie , Times" states chat the promoters of ths most important strikes in ■ every i:isttvnco are shop stewards and rceklosf:local officials, usually co-oporatin<j >i ori;pn and methods. The Belfast strilo is traceable to the instigation of n notorious rebel committee of industrialists, established on the Clyde. Th'--extremists continue to believe it is possible to stamnedo tho -Government into decisions similar to war time concessions. The GX.KUtives display general inertness, and should resign in favour of bolder men if the* are unable, ta chock the shop stewards , shock tactics. The necessity of absorbing 4,000,000 idemo'bilised men is at the root of tjbp present trouble. A typical strike leaflet runs: "A thousand weriemen are being demobilised daily, and over 100,000 ■workers dismissed from civil employment. The only remedy is that no qn*> must work more than forty hours, wit.i no reduction m wages and no overtime." . Difficulties dm , to demobilisation are illustrated in the case of. the mines. When ahe demobilised miners applied for work many substituted men were dismissed. ' Strikes were commenced, Jiot against the reinstatement - of soldiers but in favour of the retention of war time miners. The.stnkers demanded that before anyone was dismissed a six hours' day should be conceded in all mines. It cannot be denied ■that tho British industrial world is drifting into :i disordered scramble, wherein the strongest unions get wha., they want whiio the rest of the com-* rauhity bear th«* burden. As a result the whole- basis of wage-earninc be- • comes a mosaic of unfairness and unreason. The majority of the strikes are ; engineered by irresponsible young men, ■who secure election to shop, committees, which carry on propaganda hitherto associated with shop stewards. Shop committees regard Bolshevism as a policy for obtaining reform by direct methods, threats, and intimidation, instead or parliamentary methods. Mr "W. Adamson, interviewed on his re-olection to the chairmanship of tho Parliamentary Labour Party, said the •new Parliament would, from the.beginning bo much occupied Tvith.the serious problem of industrial unrest which threatened Britain?s productive power. He defended tho miners* claim for a sixliour day owing to' the dangers of thft occupation, and he hoped the Government would , enact it. Though 172,000 men are striking and' there are many, serious symptoms of industrial unrest, the best judges in touch, with the working men are of opinion that there is no reason for panic. Tho sudden strikes are principally due -to the absence of a national , solution bt the problem of absorbing four million men bemg demobilised .from the Army and Navy. The younger workers are taking advantage of the transitional period m which industries are in a semi-chaotic state to secure an increase'of wages and a re- * duction in hours. They are helped s>y -the fact that the Government seems / to be without a concerted ' Labour ' policy, and appears to be waiting to be pushed into action. That condition is not confined ■to tho Government, but extends to the labour world. Thus the Clyde engineers are demanding forty hours and Belfast forty-four. If tho Government promised a general Eight Honrs Act it wotild materially ease the situation . Mr O/Grady, secretary of the Federation of General Workers, with a -million members, urges the Government to • release stocks of food stored for war purposes, also building materials for houses. He adds: "1 am extremely gratified that employers generally are regarding industrial problems from a new standpoint. They admit that the -. workers have been overworked and underpaid, and show a real desire to bring about a better state of things." Some newspapers point out that trade union leaders are in an ignominious .position owing to unauthorised strikes, v and ask why they havo not the courage to resign and emulate the example of Mr Thomas in connexion with the railwaymcn, which proved highly effi- ' oacious in dealing with a recalcitrant following. ON THE OLYJXE. LONDON, January 23. ; There has been a remarkable development on the Clyde, where the employees of all the large flour mills ceased work in sympathy with the strikers. The carters also took a holiday, though they deferred a decision regarding a strike. A big effort is being made to persuade the corporation employees to stop the municipal services The leader of the movement is Councillor Shinwell, a cool, forceful speaker, who urges the necessity of -. breaking down the barriers "between the different classes of workers with a view to concerted action. He predicts that unless the union executive get into closer touch with members, the whole structure- of trade unionism will be endangered. DISORDER IN BELFAST. - ' LONDON January 27. . The position in Belfast is more serieus. as the. public services are increasingly affected by the stoppage of power. , There has been more disorder. Several ■ ' buildings have been attacked and there las been eome looting, including pub-lic-houses. , It has been noted that there , js a remarkable similarity between the TQhxsgow and Belfast strikes. Both go •'•' beyond industrial, disputes. The mani- ' J jectoee, leaflets, and incitements rev «emtte Bobheviam. , _

OUTLOOK MORE HOPEFUL. (Received January t3oth, 0.40 p.m.) LONDON, January 2S. Ministry of Labour officials stated, in regard to the settlement of the strikes, that the outlook ivas more hopeful. Thv> Trade Union executives were inn-king .great efforts to persuado the London strikers to resume. The employers and men had held meetings to consider the possibility of negotiations. Meanwhile, t.'ise strike, which was hitherto confined to tho docks on the I north sido of the river, spread to the Surrey side, where three thousand skilled and unskilled workors joined the movement. A further eighteen hundred casuals, in consequence of the stoppage, were thrown out of employment. Many food and other ships awaiting repairs are held up,. Others are sailing, although painting and other repairs are uncompleted. AU the Thames-side dry docks, engineering, and repair shops are idle. The stoppage has j not yet affected tho stevedores and general dock workers. J There is a better prospect of settlement at the Clyde. The men. met m order to consider the making of an overture for negotiations. Tlie Manchester dockers aTo still out, but negotiations are on foot, and a settlement is probable. Eight thousand miners at Kirkcaldy and other Scottish collieries Have re- ' sumed after a week's strike. Six thousand are out in South Wales, and no negotiations have taken place. The Derbyshire miners refuse to resume until a full settlement has been reached. The Nottinghamshire men have returned to the pita. Belfast remains a serious etonn centre. Correspondents describe the situation as little short of a reign of terror. A mob ■wrecked a large drapery establishment last night because it was using electric light. Police, with batons, dispersed the crowd. ,