WAR PRODUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 January 1942, Page 4

WAR PRODUCTION

SACRIFICES BY WORKERS IN RUSSIA ' MUST BE EMULATED IN BRITAIN. SPEECHES AT TRADES UNION CONGRESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 1 p.m.) LONDON, January 25. The Russians are prepared to sacrifice wages, hours and working conditions as the price of victory, and expected British workers to do the same, said the Trades Union Congress Chairman, Mr Wolstencroft, in a speech at the Trade Union conference. He had visited one Russian factory, he said, which was working three shifts and employing 20,000 persons, 65 per cent of whom were women.

Sir Walter Citrine said reports by Soviet delegates now in Britain on British war factories would not all be flattering to the British. The delegates had seen the shortcomings of the British factories, and were convinced that, without maximum production throughout Britain, it would be impossible to implement the pledges made at Moscow on behalf of Britain. M. Schvernik, leader of the Russian delegation, said Britain was doing well, but production was not ideal. There were unused reserves which, if mobilised, would considerably increase the output of tanks,, planes and munitions. They found production highest where shop stewards were giving the closest attention to 1 it. SHOP COMMITTEES ADVOCATED IN WALES. AS MEANS OF INCREASING PRODUCTION. (Received This Day, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, January 25. Two hundred branch delegates to a I Trades Union Congress, representing all classes of industry in South and West Wales, at -a meeting in Swansea, considered a plan for the recognised establishment of shop committees, with full co-operation between workers and em- ' plpyers. Mr Conley, who visited Moscow in the autumn, described this as the first big move in working out the establishment of a British Soviet Union Committee. It would be applicable to the whole trades union movement, and Views had been represented to Cabinet. He declared that there was abundant evidence that production was held up owing to stiff-necked, idiotic, managerial control. On the other hand, there were enlightened managements in many workshops where shop committees were operaitng and production had increased.