STRIKE AFTERMATH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 153, 2 December 1938, Page 11

STRIKE AFTERMATH

FRENCH LOCK-OUTS

BROKEN AGREEMENTS ALLEGED

TROUBLE NOT OVER

FURTHER DEMONSTRATIONS

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received December 2, 12.30 p.m.)]

PARIS, December 1

The aftermath of the strike is proving bitter for thousands who obeyed the union leaders. Many big employers throughout the coun« try contend that the strike was a rupture of a collective agreement, entailing dismissals and re-engage-ments under new contracts. The workers refuse to agree, to this, on the ground that they thus lose the right to the twelve days' paid holiday and must begin afresh to acquire their seniority. Lock-outs have been proclaimed in many works and factories until the situation is cleared up. Strikers in .some industries have been summarily dismissed as a result of the strained atmosphere in a number of s large industrial towns, where police and Mobile Guards are still guarding factories. Two thousand five hundi-ed dismissed strikers at Grenobles fought through a cordon of police and did considerable damage to the works where they were employed. The Admiral in charge of the Lorient Arsenal ordered the dismissal of 3000 men, who must apply for re-engage-ment. Strikers at the naval arsenal at Brest will lose two days' pay. Ten thousand workers at the naval shipyards at Saint Nazaire unexpectedly struck this -afternoon owing to the authorities refusing to re-engage them. Some of the men are alleged to be agitators. SUBMISSION TO ARBITRATION. Workers at Roubaix demonstrating against new contracts agreed to submit to Government arbitration. Three thousand men, alleged to be agitators or pickets, were dismissed in the Toulouse district. A number of aeroplane and metal works in Marseilles have not reopened. Twelve hundred demonstrators marched to a factory at Kaismes and stoned the guards, who used the butts of their rifles until reinforcements drove off the attackers. M. Jouhaux, Secretary-General of the trades union executive, affirms that the Confederation of Labour will pursue its policy until the decrees against workers are withdrawn. V CIVIL SERVANTS PENALISED. .After a conference with the Minister of Justice and others, the Premier issued a communique which, after stating that the strike in the public services, though small, cannot ,go unpunished, cancels appointmen^s'held in the Bank of France, the railways, and other State organisations by State officials who disobeyed the requisition order, dismisses a few civil servants and assistants belonging to the general administration, and suspends others without pay pending a final decision. It is understod that under this order, M. Jouhaux, who is a director of the Bank of France, and M. Semard, secretary of the Railway Workers' Organisation, who is a director of the National Railways, are dismissed from these posts. M. Daladier has decided to summon, Parliament for December 8, subject to the Finance Committee's examination of the Budget being sufficiently l advanced. The Minister of Finance, M. Reyhaud, in a speech at the American, Club, referred optimistically to the financial position and stressed that capital is flovfing back to France. All the Valenciennes miners and 20 per cent, of the metal workers have resumed work Valenciennes strikers attacked and injured several Belgians who were crossing the frontier to resume work. Lille textile workers, after being refused permission to enter the works, stormed the factories, which were later evacuated by police and mobile guards. Several strikers at Denain were injured by guards using the butts of their rifles.

GOOD WILL DESIRED

OUTLINE OF POLICY

PARLIAMENT TO MEET

(Independent Cable Service.)

(Received December 2, 11.40 a.m.)]

PARIS, December 1. The Premier, M. Daladier, stated that he is summoning Parliament to meet on December 8, when an indication of the Government's policy will be given. The Minister of Finance, M. Reynaud, in a speech at a luncheon said: "The events of yesterday do not signify a social landslide. We want to obtain good will and not lifeless resignation. , Democracy cannot exist without agreement from the great majority. National reconciliation is necessary for the success of our great enterprise."

The metal workers are still on strike at Dunkirk and Valenciennes, but the situation throughout France is reported to be almost normal.

Forty persons who were arrested at Valenciennes yesterday and six who were arrested today were sentenced to terms of imprisonment varying from ' 21 to 45 days.