BRITISH LABOUR AIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1943, Page 4

BRITISH LABOUR AIMS

EXPOUNDED BY MR BEVIN VALUE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT IN INDUSTRY. SERVICE THE CRITERION OF DEMOBILISATION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m.) RUGBY, September 7. Referring to the suppression of Trade Union organisations in Germany, when he spoke at the Trades Union Congress at Southport, the Minister of Labour (Mr Ernest Bevin) said: “I claim that British Labour and British men, both in fighting and working, have produced far greater results by maintaining these great unions and co-operative movement than any nation can accomplish by their destruction. I hope that out of this war this great movement will arise stronger and more virile and be prepared to accept greater responsibility —and to exercise more discipline if I may say so.”

Speaking of the good work done by the women of Britain, "the Minister gave an assurance that once the needs of the war had been met, labour and raw materials would be released even if the war had not ended, to help ease the difficulties of the home. Mi’ Bevin said the Government had tried to maintain self-government in industry, whether owned by the State or private people. “You need to maintain those principles of self-government in industry,” he said, adding: “Another principle the Government has accepted is that the principle of service should be the criterion of demobilisation.”

To girls and boys called to the forces, Mr Bevin said the Government was determined to do all it could for them and to assist them when they came back, to fill gaps with regard to education and training. The Government was engaged, too, upon task planning to prevent mass unemployment rising again.”