PICKETS ARRESTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26622, 19 November 1947, Page 5

PICKETS ARRESTED

SAVOY- HOTEL -STRIKE

LABOUR MEMBER INVOLVED Rec. 11 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 18. Mr Arthur Lewis, a Labour member of the House of Commons, and about 25 pickets, including some women, were arrested at the Savoy Hotel shortly before, midnight and taken to the Bow Street Police Station. Lewis was charged with obstructing the highway and obstructing the police. He was released on bail, and will . appear in the Bow Street Police Court , this morning. Lewis protested vehemently when seized by an inspector and constable, says the Daily Mail. After he had gone a few paces he struggled and fell to the ground with his escort. He shouted continuously: “They’re twisting my arms They’re hurting my back! ” The arrests followed clashes between the police and the strikers who tried to prevent a lorry delivering oil to the Savoy. They threw themselves on the roadway in front of the lorry. Police removed them and later mounted police helped to restore order. , . Five hundred union stewards and house, representatives from _ London hotels and restaurants outside the Savoy group have decided unanimously to request the National Executive of the union to call out the whole of the catering trade workers in London by the morning of November 19 in support of the Savoy workers. The Savoy group representatives were present, but did not participate in voting. The chairman of the meeting, Mr J Blair said that uniformed policemen last night thronged the corridors of the Savoy and Simpson’s, and added that if Mr Chuter Ede sought to justify the action of his officials, he would be guilty of a crime against the entire Labour movement, which had placed Mr Chuter Ede and his friends where they were to-day. The organiser of the London branch of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, Mr Arthur Lewis, M.P., saying that the police manhandled him at the Savoy HoteLon the night of November 15, added: — “ Make no mistake. The trade union movement will not stand for the police being used to break an official strike ” Two * thousand workers at Smithfield meat markets have decided to strike for one Hour a day for the remainder of tiie week in protest against what they described as “ the brutality of the police towards the Savoy Hotel strike pickets.” When police pickets clashed during the unloading of three oil tankers at the. hotel, a deputation of the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers called at the Home Office with a letter protesting against the police action. The letter stated that Mr Lewis arrived at the meeting of the Society of Woodworkers yesterday with two women pickets. “ One woman was obviously in pain and suffering from the effects of injuries due to police action. We call upon the Home Secretary for a full and immediate inquiry into this shocking affair, and the dismissal of the police responsible.” Mr Chuter Ede later requested eyewitness statements and promised to Investigate the matter fully.