THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 16

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By Trade Unionist.]

TRADE UNIONISM UNDER WAR

CONDITIONS

With no wish to exaggerate the position, there are rumours afloat that an attempt js going to be made to get trades unions to relax on some of the hard-won working conditions that are now embodied in their respective awards and agreements. As a matter of fact, some of the local unions whose members are being employed on emergency defence work have voluntarily conceded a reduction of overtime payments for Saturday and Sunday work now being •performed by their members. As the war progresses most industries will automatically come under this category, and a'general speeding up of production to assist Britain in her successful prosecution is obvious. ■ The Labour movement as a whole recognises the seriousness and emergency of the position. The Federation of Labour at its National Council meeting held last week in Wellington discussed the whole position, hence the . important message to the trades unionists by he national president, Mr A. M’Lagan, published recently in the Press of the Dominion and over the national broadcasting stations. Realising that the defence of our country is of paramount importance, the matter of awards and agreements is causing some concern to the Federation of Labour, who, while not wishing to place any impediments in the way of the Government in its preparations to preserve our security, must give due consideration to its members’ standard of living. , •There is one thing certain, that the sacrifices, if agreed to. will not be onesided. Capital, as well as Labour, has got to do its part. We have this assurance from the Government, and, that 'being so, it may be necessary to agree to a truce, with proper safeguards, for the duration of the war period. OLD “HERO” OUTLAWED. A man who was valued so highly by the Bolsheviks in 1920 that in the civil war they exchanged 18 enemy prison-, ers for him, has just been proclaimed an outlaw and an enemy of the people. He is M. Feodor Raskolnikov, former Soviet Minister to Bulgaria, who was recalled suddenly in April last year, but refused to return to Moscow. Raskolnikov is a veteran of the Bolshevik Old Guard. It was' he who led the Kronstadt sailors against the Kerensky Government in 1917, when he was arrested by Kerensky. After the Bolshevik revolution he was credited with forcing British troops tft evacuate North Persia. He later became Soviet Minister in Afghanistan and Estonia, • ♦ ♦ # HISTORY OUT OF A TIN.. Television will revolutionise the entertainment industry, said Mr Robert Finnigan iu his presidential address to the annua! conference of the National Association of Theatrical and Cine Employees, which opened in London recently. The theatre and the cinema should not be too severely criticised if,-for the moment, they saw a serious menace in the public ’diffusion of television. But they must prepare now intelligently to adapt themselves to whatever the future had in store for them. “ The teacher of the future,” said Mr Finnigan, “will not rely on dusty books of history to teach his pupils. He will go to his school library and bring down from the shelf * something in a tin box,’ in which will be recorded and photovised ’ the actual happenings of

generations past, and his students ■will see the men and women of long ago talking and walking as they did when on earth.”

Referring to the record membership of this SO-year-old union, which now has more than 20,000 members, Mr Finnigan said a vast number of entertainment workers were still getting something for nothing. Where non-members took advantage of a trade union agreement (and they were usually the first to do sol it was a form of theft—picking the pockets of their fellow workers whose organised action and contributions to their union •funds had made the agreement possible. Mr Finnigan said the theatre and music-hall employers had for some years recognised the principle of obligatory trade union membership for their employees, and their interests had not suffered.

In film studios, a 100 per cent, trade union membership was maintained by the union members’ own efforts whether the employers liked it or not. Now the non-union game must stop in the cinemas. Cinema owners w r ould not distribute dividends to non-shareholders. Why should they expect the union to agree that union-benefits should be distributed to non-unionists P

STABLE PROSPERITY IN SWEDEN

Having established a high level of national prosperity during its first few years of power after 11133, Sweden’s Socialist Government seems in the last two years to have discovered the secret of maintaining economic stability on this high level despite all international shocks (says the editor of the English ‘ Labour .Daily ’). Peaceful, democratic Sweden grows richer, while rearmament impoverishes all the great European nations. This is shown more convincingly than over in the latest report on economic conditions in Sweden, published by the British,Department for Overseas Trade. Sweden hardly felt the world “ recession ” of 1938, and lias now almost completely recovered from it. Even in 1938, the report says, there was “ no abatement in the spending power of the Swedish people; m fact, they spent more freely than ever before, and retail trade flourished accordingly.” Employment was maintained on a high level right through last year. The index of industrial activity, which had risen from 91 in 1933 to 154 in November, 1937, only fell to 142 last autumn, and has now risen to 152 once more.

The impact of depression in the outside world was felt in an 8.1 per cent, fall in the value of Swedish exports in 1938, but this was not allowed to start an internal depression, and exports are now increasing again. Depression was prevented in 1938 by Government action, which increased the total wage payment in internal industries by more than, the wages lost in exporting industries. The Government never actually put into force the extraordinary relief measures which it took powers for in June, 1938. but it pressed on with what the D.0.T.-. report calls its “ long-term system of capital expenditure on public utility schemes.” The volume of bank credit was also, mildly increased during the year.

Sweden’s State enterprises and cooperative movement continue to thrive and expand.

T.U.C. MAY START HOLIDAY CAMPS.

A network of holiday centres and camps throughout the country founded by the British trade unions is a possibility of the near future;

The Trade Union Congress General Council has been giving careful consideration to the whole question of holida yaccommodation, especially in view of the increased demand expected to arise from the extension of the paid holiday. Proposals have been drawn up and are now being examined by unions affiliated to the T.U.C., under which the unions would invest funds for the purpose in a company formed jointly by the T.U.C. and the Workers’ Travel Association.

Guest houses would bo acquired on the lines of the present W.T.A. permanent centres, and holiday camps might also be created. One aim would be to ensure thoroughly satisfactory accommodation for a maximum'of 45s or 50s a week. Permanent centres of the kind likely to bo favoured by the T.U.C. would include some near to tho more popular resorts.

The who]e subject lias been examined in consultation with the W.T.A., which has extensive experience of providing for workers’ holidays.

When the views of the trade unions have been received the T.U.C. General Council will determine the next step in the light of those replies. .In connection with the scheme it is being suggested that active support should be given to tho movement to spread holidays over a period longer than July and August, the two peak months.

To maintain comparatively low prices the proposed centres would need to be filled to capacity for a minimum of 16 weeks in the year, and would be closed down entirely during the winter.

WORKERS KEEPING THEIR “ CLUBLAND,”

What is to be the future of the clubs which were started in Great Britain by and for the unemployed in the depths of the depression? The view that many will bo permanent social institutions used by unemployed and employed is put forward in ‘ Out of Adversity,’ a sixpenny booklet publihsed recently by the National Council of Social Service. There are in all in Britain 900 clubs for men and 500 for women, with a

membership of 210,000 men and 40,000 women. -

Most of the present membership, it is said, are unskilled workers and men from depressed industries such as coal mining. It is noted that large numbers of men wiio have gone back to work after periods of unemployment are .retaining their membership of the club. Discussing the question of finance, the booklet says it is desirable that the members of a social institution should themselves be able to maintain that institution, but a considerable section of the population cannot do so. In 1929 some 60 per cent, of the population had an income of less than 45s a week. “The only real solution to this dilemma,” it is observed. “ is in raising their general income level.” # * ■* * ANOTHER APPEAL BY COMMUNISTS. The Communist Party has made another appeal for affiliation to the British Labour Party. A new reason why Labour should accept affiliation is now given by the Communist Party. It is that Labour organisations have ceased to “carry out the task of Socialist propaganda, education, and leadership.” It is claimed that the Communist Party alono does this, and should therefore be accepted as part of the Labour movement. The last Communist appeal for affiliation was made in 1936. It was rejected by the National Executive Committee bn the ground that professed Communist respect for democratic liberties was insincere.

The rejection was upheld at subsequent Labour Party conferences.

FRANCO’S REPRISALS IN SPAIN. As the result of General Franco’s laws of reprisal against the people of Spain, the entire structure of democracy in that country, built up since the birth of the Republic iu 1931, has been destroyed.

Reprisals are being exacted against everyone who opposed the “ National Movement,” either by actions against it or by passivity. All trade unions and democratic parties have been outlawed and anyone having any connection with them or with the Papular Front Government will be tried under Franco’s new laws.

Those who left Republican Spain after the beginning of the war and who failed to return within three months automatically become criminals, according to the law. In other words, not a single person in the whole Republican area, with the exception of Fascist elements, will he safe from reprisals. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of armrests have been made in the former Republican cities and towns, and tribunals are daily sending arrested victims to their deaths. The Franco measures of revqnge appear to be particularly vicious in the Basque,, Asturian, and Catalan provinces.—Exchange.