BRITAIN AND FRANCE EXCHANGE WORKERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5285, 23 December 1946, Page 7

BRITAIN AND FRANCE EXCHANGE WORKERS

LONDON. For the first time in modern history, French and British workers are to exchange jobs, voluntarily, hut under an organised scheme, Mauriee Dubrulle, President of la Federation Lainiere Internationale disclosqd. "French woollen textile workers will come to Bradford in England and British workers will go to the French textile mills in the Ro>ubaix Tourcoing district, starting early in d'947," he said. Parties of between 12 and 20 workers will exchange jobs for a start, hut we hope the number will increase gra'dually. The present intention is that the exchange visits will last for six months, hut if we find the workers prefer to remain for nine months or a year, we shall arrange an extension," he added. For a week, M. Dubrulle, together with Victor Provo, Lord Mayor of Roubaix Tourcoing; six french woollen textile workers, and five employers in the woollen industry, have been examining eeonomic and social conditions in British textile mlls. "Technicians have exchanged jobs before," M. Dubnulle said, "but I decideid that for real in'tetrtnational understanding it i/ essential that the less skilled workers should live together, work together and learn each other's language."