INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION IN FRANCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 38, 1 March 1937, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL ARBITRATION IN FRANCE.

The sayijag used to be that ''uneasy lies the head that wears a crown," but in these days it is equally applicable to the leaders of most governments, be they republican, comuauiiist or fascist. Especially may it be applied to the Primc Ministership of France, which during the post-war years has passed with such startling rapidity from hand to hand. It is not so very many months since the Sociailist M. Leon Blnm was elevated to the position as the result of a general election which left the parties of the Right in a definite minority. To-day we have news of a vigorous, not to say vicious, onslaught upon his policy with the obvious hope .of ousting him from his place, or at any rate compeHing him to reconstitute his Ministry. However, he has survived the attack, the Chamber of Deputies having accorded him a substantial majority on a no-confidence motion. It would thus seem that, for the time being at any rate, he has been so strongly. reaffirmed in office as to justify him in carrying on in his declared direction. In this case it has been on its fiscal and international trade policy that the Government is being assailed, but on these M. Blum has been enabled to hold his ground. It is noteworthy that France's new Prime Minister has met with fairly general approval in his handling of the industrial troubles that faced him on his accession to power. There were oLvious grievances of a deep-seated character that were calling aloud for remedy, and this he has been able to accomplish without any readly very serious dislocation of the country's industrial organisation and machinery. In this relation it is worth while observing that one of his main means for achieving his purpose has been the establishment of arbitration tribunals for the settlement of disputes as between employers and employees. This is something that has long been sought in vain by French trade unionists. There the 'stay-in" strikes were in great measure due to the want of some such tribunal. Here our only strike of the same character — eliciting no' rebuke, indeed receiving encouragement, from our Labour Minister — has been virtually against the authority of a like Court that has operated to fairly general satisfaction over many years. # M, Blum's strength lies in the moderation of his Socialist proclivities, and it is with some justice so far that he adleges due regard for the interests of employers as a body. He has recognised that his goal is not to be attained by any sudden apheaval of the industrial system, but rather that any such resort would meali delaying its attainment indefinitely. An unequivocal expression of his views in this respect is to be found in the measure for instituting the arbitration tribunals. In this a clause states de'finitely that "the object of arbitration shall be to establish equitable rules of working conditions with a view to creating an atmosphere of collaboration in respect for the mutual rights of both parties." Nor is it to be overlooked that the new French law, designed hy a Socialist Prime Minister, insists that, should a gtrike be in progress? work must be resumed directly the compulsory arbitration proceedings are opened. No txme was lost in setting up the requisite -tribunals and they have already functioned in the settlement pf several disputes that had culminated in strikes. A strong movement in the same direction, .with the President strongly backing it, is in progress in the United States. Yet here we have our Government seemingly very lukewarm at the best about the preservation of our own eompulspry arbitration system, while the Minister most directly concerned has openly discredited it both by word and action.