International Items

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 7, 1 August 1913, Page 2

International Items

NORWAY.

The Norwegian Government has drafted a bill to provide for arbitration of industrial disputes. The bill is for a conciliation board, which shall consist of “ two officials and two private individuals.” A big movement is on foot, however, to protest against the Government’s action. Big meetings and demonstrations have been held and a petition of 60,000 signatures has been sent to parliament. The trade union centres are in opposi tion to the measure. ITALY.

The Italian workers are shaking off the influence of the politicians and the reform element in the labour movement, and are awakening to the necessity of Direct Action; this is indicated by the old Labour Confederation’s loss of membership and the growth of the new organisation, the Union Syndicate Italiana.

A recent law, which aimed at undermining the railwaymen’s right to strike, provides for a joint committee of workers and directors. The men are finding out that they have been tricked, and they may vindidate their rights by a general strike. The Italian Railwaymen’s Union' have sent proposals for the agenda of the International Federation of Transport Workers’ Congress (London, August). One proposal is to transfer the Federation’s headquarters from Berlin to Lo7idon or Paris. Another of their proposals urges the Federation to practise the methods of the Class Struggle independently of the political parties and their tactics.

AMERICA. That the olden, conservative or ganisations in the U.S. are being influenced by the I.W.W. is indicated by the following excerpt from a resolution adopted by the Washington State Federation of Labour Convention: “Resolved that we endorse the industrial form of organisation along the lines of that adopted by the United Mine Workers of America which embraces all men employed in the coal mining industry, regardless of whether they mine coal, saw wood, or work with iron in machine shops; and be it further resolved that we instruct our representative . . . to use his ef

forts to have a similar resolution adopted by the parent body of this organisation.” The bitter struggle of the West Virginian miners is still on. Tlie strikers frequently come in contact with the thugs and militia and fatalities are often recorded. Four miners were shot dead on July 25. The Press Association cable items appearing in the daily press here are worded to give the impression that the miners are terrorising the countryside; the Labour papers of America state that the strikers were first attacked and murdered with armoured motors and machine guns; they were obliged to arm in self-defence. Any sane worker knows which to believe.