Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-12-25
Economic Fights In
The United Kingdom

There has been an enormous in.
crease in the number Of economic
struggles dn the United Kingdom in
the past few years. The most remark.
BILE circumstance accompanying these
ovements has been that unsktlled
-skers about whom some Of the old
.trsGls unions rarely troubled them.
,5elves--took part In the movements,
and often even when they did not be
long to a trade union. The skilled
workers inI England, with the help
of their old trade unions and in con
sequence of series of favorable cir
cumstances, have been able to make
conditions with regard to wages and
work to which the equal can be found
in very few Of the old countries
Their position, which at times resemb-
les that of a monopoly, was more and
more threatened by unexpected tech
nical development and in consequence
of the continual increase Of unsldlled
workers. In addition there was ano-
ther unfavoraible circumstance, that Is,
that the English trade unions, in con-
sequence of their old conditions and
regulations did not could not adapt
themselves quickly to the new order
of things. The result was that there
was unpleasant friction between the
trades unions and especially among
leaders. In the fights against capital
ism, English trade unionists spread
over such a large number of unions
suffered many defeats both as regards
number and tactics. Their hope, that
their successful entry in the political
movement a few years previously
would bring about complete change
and the discomfort in many places.
All this shows that change Is rapid
ly taking place in the English move
ment, partly indeed as result of the
increasing pressure which is being
used by the Employers Organiza-
ton. A new, organization OF employ
ers has recently been formed, which
is to accumulate fund Of so million
pounds for the purpose Of fighting the
trades unions. It will only be a mat
ter of time before the English EN-.
ployers will follow the example OF
their colleagues on the Continent, and
will have established strong organi-
cations with strike insurance funds
this will do more than anything else
to encourage efforts towards unity in
the English movement. A typical ex
ample of how the economic fiht for a
living wage and better conditions
causes all differences of opinion in the
ranks of labor to be put on one side
in order to make a united movement
for mutual assistance possible, is CIV
en- in the case of the struggle in Dub.
lin, the Irish Capital In this land
whose poverty is by-word, the work.
ers until recently allowed themselves
to be restrained by the Roman Gath
Ole Clergy and by the political parties
of other classes, from looking after
conditions of living OF the Irish work
ers Is even worse than those OF their
comrades in distress in the most unde
veloped European countries. The mdS'
cry of the general body Of workers
there was so great that nobody ex
pected the mems movement would sue
coed in it's own strength in securing
better conditions for the general mass
of the workers. Contrary to all ex-
pectations however, the now famous
Larkin, who for many years had been
engaged by the British Dockers Union
10 COHUuCt- tue1T pTUpd6duu6 HOFAI
succeeded in doing this. Larkin, who
calls himself revolutionary socialist
was able, in several districts, to organ
lie the Dockers, and in materially i'm
proving the miserable position Of these
men. When the Nationalist move
ment In Ireland was in q state OF
great ferment. Lark1n allowed HIM
self to be led away even SO far as TO
separate from the British organization
in order to form purely Irish Trans
port Workers Union. He opposed any
further propaganda work by the Brit
ish Union even to the extent of threat.
ening to use force to prevent 1t. They
then pursued the policy Of small
strikes with great success, at time
when the Emm1nrnra wnrn hnt s1.Az1..-a--