New-York tribune., 1918-07-26
Leeds Trades to Call Out
100000 More Tuesday if
Embargo Remains
Workers Repudiate
Truce Advocates
Government Rejects Pro
posal to Lift Ban on Free
Movement of Labor

LONDON. July 25.-~Two hundred
thousand important workers are now
on strike in British munition centres
and the trouble seems to be spreading
The situation is considered more
serious.
A dispatch from Birmingham says
the workmen Of the 'slack country"
one of the chief industrial districts of
the Midlands, are joining the strike
At conference of members of the en-
cheering (machinisO and allied trades
in Leeds day. with delegates present
representing 100000 workers, it was de-
cided to cease work next Tuesday if
the embargo on the free movement
from Job to job of skilled labor is not
removed
One hundred thousand are now on
strike in the Birmingham district.
OF Coventry's $4,000 skilled workers.
$4,000 are on strike. Altc gether, $4,000
workers engaged in the manufacture of
munitions there are affected.
The Coventry joint committee of En-
gineering and Allied Unions, which
urged that work be continued pending a
conference, has been repudiated by the
strikers
The Ministry of Munitions an
nounced tonight that it had received
a resolution from the Birmingham
joint committee, repeating the previous
offer to recommend the immediate re-
sumption of work if the Ministry sus-
pended the embargo for fourteen days.
The resolution says:
"If the Ministry's desire to serve
the national interests is as sincere as
our own, we will agree to the course
universally adopted in all disputes
namely, suspension of the operation
of the matter in dispute"
The Minister replied that he could
not see his way to withdraw or sus-
pend the embargo. He hoped the
committee again would consider the
request of the National Advisory Com
mittee that all the men should resume
work, bearing in mind that the reso-
luton was taken with clear under
standing that the embargo would not
be removed"
The Press Association says that at
meeting held at Wolverhampton by
the joint committee tonight it was
resolved to telegraph to Mr.. Churchill
the Minister of Munitions, and Premier
Lloyd George to remove the embargo
Immediately. failing which, "sole re.
sponsiblity for the industrial unrest
in the district will be placed on the
shoulders of the government"
A reply was demanded within
twenty-four hours.
The strike had it's origin in the de
dciency of skilled labor. The deficiency
necessitated the government making
pans for an even distribution of labor
but some firms, by offering attractive
wages, managed to secure an unfair
proportion of skilled workers. The
government, therefore, laid an embargo
on three Coventry firms, which were
told an excess of skilled hands could
not be permitted.
One of these firms thereupon issued
notice saying the government en-
bargo was meant to apply to men earn
ing the standard district rate of pay
and instructng foremen in the future
to engage only semi-skilled workers. 1t
is said the men misunderstood the pur-
port of the embargo, which was wrong
ly interpreted as an attempt to oust
skilled workers and drive them into the
army by means of low wages. Aside
from this the men contend that the en-
barge is a restriction of their right to