BRITISH LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 80, 29 December 1920, Page 5

BRITISH LABOUR

NEW YEAR DEVELOPMENTS

AMALGAMATION OF UNIONS

POWERFUL GENERAL COUNCIL TO BE

ESTABLISHED

By TelegMph-Presi Aaiooiatton-OopyrlilU London, December 27.

The. Labour correspondent of "The Times" gays that the New Year will be marked by important developments and amalgamations in the Labour world, and among these are: 1. The establishment o£ a General Council, to replace the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress. The council will consist of thirty members, representing seventeen trades, and there will be five sub-commiiitocs representing groups of allied industries. A strong, full-time secretariat will be appointed, and the.administration expenses will be .£25,000 a year. Tho council's duties are to watch industrial movements; to co-ordinate, where possible, industrial action; to promote common action; to settle disputes; to carry on propaganda, and to foster international relations. The membership of unions is now six millions. 2. A balloit is now proceeding for tho amalgamation of four great general workera' and municipal employees' unions, with a membership of three millions. This will be the largest single union in the world. 3. Nineteen unions. conncoted with the dock, waterside, and road transport workers fire amalgamating, with a membership (Mailing half a million. 4. Tho engineering and shipbuilding trades are amalgamating, with a membership of 460,000. 5. The warehouse unions and co-opera-tive employees are amalgamating, with 200,000 members. .-, ■ 6. The printing, bookbinding, machineruling, and pnper workers aro amalgamating, with 100,000 members.—'.'The Times."