The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-05-18

Atltea-I4: Thrifty: Little He1lAh49
unions Are Pragress ing-1n Austria
theUnions seear<d the Right. Of
+eheF: s f. Yat,: >. ;::::; o.:
;Haytns had, placed I'M my hands re-
Gently large >Amount of Information
concerning trades-unionism in Europe
I have thought it desirable to place
some abstracts before the readers Of
the Journal. says Henry M, James in
the Typographical Journal, In Europe.
as in the United States, labor unions
have III some cases become important
factors IN politics apd in the, strenuons
life generally. They are here to stay.
Some cohntries- haXe-heen omitted in
this compilation, statistics being too
ufd to be Of practical service, or because
Of trades t -unionism in them may be
said to be pon-extstent. Where unions
do not exist. their places are filled BY
guilds or similar trade corporations or
by the cartel system, as IN Russia.
AUSTRIA: !:
.Trades-nnionism and social democ-
racy are practically interchangeable
terms in Austria, Ninety per cent Of
the members Of trades unions may be
ranked as social democrats The latter
have no less than q political and 70
trade papers at. their command. The
German speaking Austrians have 1880
unions, with. 10000 mem bers; the
Czechs have $50 unions with $4,000 mem
bers; the other Municipalities show con-
siderably less.
On the whole unions have done much
for the workman. They have gained
for him the right to vote. they have
compelled the government to deal
equitably with the labor organizations.
. and they haze improved in great meas
nre the material condition Of the work
! c'S in The WAY OF be, tor Wages and
shorten working hours.
There has beer Of late a pronounced
i tendency to striking 3. but i, ha: 'been Of
benefit to the men and has placed pro-
! gresstve ideas in heads that formerly
! ala not dream Of such things: The tend
! en12cy reeferrrrsd TO has been largely at
: tributed- to the discomfort Of the social
; democrats with existing conditions AMI
! the cons tant endea ror to secure~a bet
terment Of their state =. =:
Ip 1898 there were 255 strikes, inyolv-
! ing 1868 strikers VI no lost 23,e1S work
ing days. Among the printers there
We're six strikes affecting l2Q men. The
! strikes were nearly ali Of short. dura-
j. tiQu.- The causes for the strikes among
the printers were for increase of wages,
! for discharge Of~"obnoxious foreman,
| against discharge Of employees and
against. obnoxious rules Three sue
ceeded, two succeeded partly, and one
! failed. The most. frequent cause of
strikes was the demand for more money,
next in Importance be reduced hours Of
labor. Of the number Of strikes report
+ ed, 4s ssueeessaea, 49, partly suec;eeeded,
j and 1902 failed: " .
The Vienna Printers Society, the
largest branch Of the Austrian Printers'
Union, contaiAne about Be It -s3;;5Qo members,
i t9:;] ssmResita a Rrsssmen ard
'$ -: ~ nEIeslN: .::..s: =: -, =:
{ It has been long lknoWn that Belgian
woe Vol receiy Hf miserable Wages. tina
they are mich underpaid when compaIr-.
/ iSSon. is made With tbs Mages paid to
American and English Workingmep
and SO it has come about That the Bel
gian has realized the good that there is
in trades-uni9ns. Unions have been
formed with the customary objects-the
improvement of the workmans condi-
ton, the shortening Of hours and zths
increasing Of wages: In these efforts
they haze, been. assisted. greatly~by the
socialist members Of the chamber OF
deputies: Each year sees some import
ant advance. It was through the work
ingnen that a ministry Of labor was
added to the cabinet: ''>''''> y ",
he can 90 much'by parliamentary meth
DDS and to this: end aims constantly tc
| return men who viii represent him and
not. others. In this he is succeeding
and his object-lesson Is worthy Of at
tentien' and emulation. =. 49, ''-'5
Mot having tull statistics Of ths mum.
bar :ef Aniona IN tho >eountry / an com.
PEELED % fail back On report oohsorn.
klat 1aAnt, Xhata. sueh orr antss siana IN
stronger than Ia any other part Of Bei.
ti,iAn. 'qherer are In thai" town" 50 unions
with. over u, Qao:'s "
- :. DENMARK.
The Danish unions number ], 1888, with
an aggregate, membership Of pc, 1850
and 50 Central fedeFatipns, 1,l5f unions
being AFFILIATED: The remaining 40 un.
ions are dependent local societies
There is also general federation, deal.
ing with all trades to~wf1ich 1914 un.
ions, with a tQtal<membership Of s2,14o
are affiliated. In the printing, pape,
ana allied trades there are 81 unions
with. .2,5544 members. It. estjwate(
that so far afss concerns the workpeople
employed in industry and handicraf1
rather more thap three out of four men
and nearly one woman il four, ara
mebers of<rnlons, while in some trade:
fully IS per cent Of all the workpe9pll
are organized. -, ;
In restless FRANCE the number Of un.
ions, ana conseanently Of unionists
grows apace. The number Of trades-un.
ions, was in 1899, according to the IAN.
nuaire. des. syndicats- professionals,
1855 las eompared with 2,261 the yeaa
before,) ana their total membership
492,647 (as compared with 419, 1911 Ar
increase Of 49, n the ;number and H.,
in the membership Of the unions. Til,