DISTURBING SITUATION

Chronicle (Levin), 15 January 1947, Page 5

DISTURBING SITUATION

( Siif'cial ( ' 6 r r e sp on d p n l . )

CIIALLENGE TO qOVERNMENT

LONDON, Jan. 1.1.

Tlio transport ti rivers' strike and its • •'j'l-rcussions have cont'rontcd the Gov- • "KiinMit and the transport and general v. i.rkers with a sitnation which has nrist disturhittg iniplicatioiis. It is recognised that the drivers, bv dei'.iling to reniain on strike in detianee • 1 1 the plain advice of their leaders, iiave coni'ronted the (Jovermncnt and tlie trade union inovenient with a cliallenge to their authority, which they "•annol ignore. It is also recognised that the calling in of troops, however lai'tfully the orders may b« applied, will inevitably cause syinpathy demonstrations, and create a grave danger of a general strike. The dispute occurred just when the Governnient had called both the trade unions aiul the employers into consultation with the object of stimulating the export drive and consolidating in dustrial relations. It also occurred when the Tnpisport and General Workers' Union espoused the principle of the "elosed shop" 011 the groutul that 100 per cent. trades union nieinliership within the big unions gnaran tees union discipline. Inevitably the dispute has reopened the whole question of ihe ' ' elosed shop. ' ' Too Unwieldy Uiiion. ' Severn!*. newspapers - tliis morning •'laini that the Transport and General Workers' Union with its 1,500,000 meinhership is too large and unwieldy to be properlv responsive to the griev auees of its component parts. It is pointed o«t that the claims on which the present dispute aros'e were first niade three years ago, and that, de spite the plain danger signals aheftd the general executive of the union took no (leii nite steps to deal with tlie dis juite until tlie men wenfc 011 strike. The Tinies savs tlie red light is now only too evident, and that the continuous symptoms oi' anarchy within eet' tain unions cannot fail to disturb both the (toverninent and the public. If tliese teudencies spread they may make nonsense out of the export drive. "Nervous Supplication Humiliating. ' ' The Observer, one of thd Idadittg icidependent weeklies, is even more out- 1

spoken. It says: "Thc feeble and dilat ory conduct of the M inlsl ries in Jetiiiig the present situation develop is deplorable. Mr. Stracliey's nervous supptieation to the strikers is simply humiliating. Wliat is unintelligible to the 011looking citi/.en is tlie siiail's paee :it whieli the Adiuinistralion nioves in these matters. Why all tliis shrugging of shoulders by the Miiiislrv of Labour and tlie Alinistrv of Food? "The Goveriiinent keeps telling tlie nation of the lire necessity for hani and constant work," adds Tlie Observer, "but whai exaniple of drive does it set when it lets tliings dril't like tliis? Even tliese hoity-toity i'olk, wlm like dismissing Parliament as a taiking shop, may be sorry it is not meeting tliis week. Question timo would cerlainly have been salutary and wiJl eertainly l»e lively when Parliament ineets again. " "Should Go Back.' ' Thc Dailv Heraltl, although it condemns tlie ' ' inflammatory language" employed by some of tlie ( 'onservat ive I'ress in discussing the strike, says that whatever the rcsult of today 's meeting the men should go back. Laws cannot be altered by unilateral action iu a democ ratic country, and tlie only purpose -of an unofiic.ial strike is to luing the \ vh oio, ' j ua -h i 11 er y of indpstrial ;lrbitra.ti6n iiitci"' disyepufe arai Uundeniiinu the hard-woli privileges of the trade niiioir inovenient.

Mr. .Stracliey's spoech to tlie strikers in which he appoaled to them to under stand the Government 's reasons fo 1 calling in the troops, has aiso been thc subject of strong criticism. The Yorksliire Post, which describes the spoech as "mealy mouthed," says: "Why should the Governnient apologisn to the strikers for using tlie troops to keep the vital supplies going? The" soldiers are acting 011 behalf of the public against men wlio have shown themselves recklessly deterniined to jmt their own interests first and tlie nation 's welfare a long way beliiial. Manv will feel that tlie plainest type of speaking would have been more apjiropriate in the circunisetnces. " Although it is indi vidually critical of tlie various aspects of the handJing of the" situation to date, the Press unaiinously backs the Governnient 's decision to protect the public 's supplies and slipports the efforts of the trade union leaders to exert their authority. Tlie Governnient and tlie major trade unions are reported to be unaniinous in their decision that tlie men 11111st go back to work before further cousideratioii ea u be given to their grievanees. The Gentral Wages Board is expected to support tliis attitude by refusing to accede to tlie men 's demands under duress. The liext stop is expected to be active Government intervention with the object of bringing the parties together.