BIG STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1924, Page 2

BIG STRIKE.

ON BRITISH RAILWAYS

lUBTRALIAN AM) N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON. January 20. The railm' ay locomotive drivers and firemen of Britain have come out on strike. Prior to the strike, the loco men’s executive, after a ooiilerencc announced a resolution stating ; ‘‘We feel that .t Mould be a gi’oss bet iaval of the members and woikers generally to witlidraw the strike notices. A\ e cannot fail to recognise the obstinacy of the genearl managers and their unbending attitude in demanding that the decision of the National Awards Board constitutes an A i hit rat ion Court, award, which prohibits the right' to collective bargaining." The resolution eotuio.i.-s by placing ihe responsibility upon ibe managers for the failure to effect a settlement. Tlie Railway managers on the other hand, state that the terms '>hieli Mere agreed hotu'oen ike Tiado- 1 nioti Congress and the manage;-, yesterday, bui widen were rejected by the Locomotive Society, were as follows:-- Provided the strike notices More withdrawn, the companies would give assurance that an immediate meeting with the two unions concerned would be held, M'ith a view to considering and alleviating any hardships affecting individuals, or groups of iuidivdunls, arising out of the Wages Board findings, and if, after discussion, both sides Mere satisfied they should lie alleviated, any agreement reached would at. once be applied. The companies agreed no dismissals should arise cut of the application of such decisions. Saturday was crowded until industrial conferences, ending at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday. The loco men then refused to accept the above tentative proposals. LONDON. January 20.

The strike begins at midnight. Although it will cause much inconvenience and loss, it is regarded less seriously than the 1019 strike, wherein all the railway workers particijiated. If the 10.000 drivers and firemen belonging to Mr Thomas’s union remain at work, as officially instructed, the companies will he able to run reduced services.

.Motor vehicles of all kinds will bo employed in the supplementary services. Several companies intend transforming hundreds of motor vehicles, especially lorries, into motor railors bv means of flanged m - I tools.

Thousands of provincial visitors to London returned home by the hist trains to-day.

The strike affects relatively a small proportion of London s subutban passenger traffic, as tubes, trams and buses continue. Hundreds of motor buses ui'l be employed to bring to London, business men residing in outer subnibs and at. the seaside.

Air Bromley, addressing the London members of tiio Union, said the railway managers, though courleous, cannot he honest. Ho added that the managers M-ere incapable of a generous gesture. They wanted their pound of flesh. The union 'vsa determined to stop the unending slidy don-nwards into pre-war wages.

Air Marehbnnks, president of the National Union of ridhvaymen. told a Derby meeting they had no alternative but to carry on ordinary duties. They must be loyal to their own union. He 'added -.—‘The fight is not ours. We do not. intend to be dragged into ji. If ne go in. it must be in a constitutional ".pi. No organisation has any right to call on our members to accept its dictates.

EXTENT OF STRIKE. STILL UNCEKTAIX■ LONDON. January 21II is impossible to foreshadou- the extent of the strike until it is known kov; many National Union drivers are affected. Afr Bromley expects at least 60,090 onginomen and firemen will respond to his call. Some claim 80 per cent of the normal railway service will In: slopped, hut the companies hope to continue a service equal to Sundays. Little trouble is expected regarding suburban traffic. The main lino trains which started before midnight stopped at the first big station after the strike began. In some cases X.U.R. drivers struck in sympathy, but in other eases the NX.It. drivers carried the train to their destinations after the strikers left the trains. The Irish Mail Mats only 20 minutes Into.

Many milk dealers are making arrangements to transport milk by motor cars. One milk company lias collected 1500 lorries. Another licet of 350 loir re.s has been organised to''supply Covent Garden with vegetables, meat and fruit. The supplies in the cold stores arc well above the average. There has been a great rush for a petrol supply throughout, the country, and many of the smaller dealers were cleared out. Tho railway strike in 1919 cost Britain £50.000,000. Government's expenditure alone was £10,000,000. 180 present strike is alone costing the London newspapers £60,000 daily extra for distribution by motor cars. Lorries from all directions arc carrying nevvs- ]: pcr.s as far as Wales. Many schools have curtailed tho holidays, and school--1 ovs and girls have gone hack three day: before the term began. Commercial travellers also hurried hack to their grounds on Saturday and Sunday. The “Morning l’ost” says the keynote of the striko is an enmity between Mi Bromley and Mr Thomas. Mr Bromh*v is an extreme Socialist, though secretary of the most aristocratic trade union, whose ambition is to secure all the keymen, so as to he able to paralyse the railways at any time. He is hot-tempered, omot/jiinl and easily worsted in argument. His only motion of attack is frontal, hut he is genial, caphlo and of great generosity. At fourteen he became an engine cleaner on tin* Great Western, and has; since been through all grades. He is a simple honest, blundering man. who thinks lu can put the world right in five min utes.”

UNION AGAINST A STRIKE. LONDON. January 20. After the fruitless conference of the Railway Unions and the council of the Trades Union Congress, the Railwaynun’s National Union, though Messrs ,T. H. Thomas, ALP., (secretary) and Cramp, issued a circular calling upon all members of the union to maintain its honour and prestige, and saying whoever ceased work on the demand for a wage increase would he a. “blackleg t - the signature of liis accredited representatives.” and a traitor to tho decision of the Union’s special general meeting.

The “Daily Chronicle’s” Labour correspondent says the circular means the loer men will be alowe if they strike, with the weight of both industrial and political lalsour against them.