The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-09

lie only means Oh lOCOUlOI
London population, are the sub
lines. These are utterly made
quate to cope with the problem
Of London's traffic. You can
see hundreds of thousands of
workers walking their four,
five or six miles to work, in the
morning.
The principal streets, leading from
the great residential suburbs Of
London, are choked with moving
mass of people.
And now, to-day, comes the news
that the subway men have decided to
strike, in sympathy, at midnight on
Friday next!
Sympathetic Labor Action.
Today, or tomorrow, the London
District Committee of the Electrical
Trade Union meets to consider SYM
pathetic action, "quite apart from
the question of the introduction of
blackleg labor" This is because the
Electrical Workers have already an
nounced their decision to shut off
power the minute there is an attempt
to run street-cars with blackleg la
Dor. So far, there has been no such
attempt. The strike is absolutely 100
per cent effective. Not single scAb
has yet been seen!
The strike is a remarkable one,
when we consider that the omnibus
drivers are striking merely in sup
port of the street car men. The
street car mems demand is quite
simple: they want an increase OF
eight shillings per week, for all
grades of work. There are no graded
and complicated demands. Their slo-
gan is Eight shillings or nothingW
There are 1900 of the street car
men. Their present wages are-for
motormen and conductors-58 shil-
lings, as a commencing rate, rising,
with service, to a maximum of 81
shillings.
Splendid Solidarity.
The $1,000 omnibus men struck
because the low wages of the street
car men are being used by the omni-
bus company as an argument for the
reduction of omnibus mems wages.
There is no definite attack at present,
on omnibus mems wages, but it
might come at any time. So that
the omnibus mems strike is a re-
markable manifestation, coming, as
it does, so soon after the depressed
state Of British labor, when it was
difficult enough to get the workers
into fighting form even for definite
demands.
It is also splendid example Of the
for the newer unionism.
The omnibus men and the street en-
men are in the same union-the
Transport and General Workers
Union. They have one union and
one general staff conducting the fight.
Also, let it not be forgotten, this is
the same union which has just re-
Gently concluded an offensive action
in behalf of the longshoremen, in a
strike, which ended in
the securing of higher wages. The
Transport workers are going ahead
with flags flying and trumpets call
ing-and, incidentally, they are show
ing what industrial unionism really
can accomplish!
Striking Against Government.
The negotiations with the employ
ers have broken down. The tramway
authorities replied to the mems de-
mand for an all-round increase of
eight shillings with an offer of fve-
shilling raise for certain grades only.
This, the men Immediately refused,
thru their representatives, and, on
the evening of March 25th, the ne
gotiations ended. The government is
to set up court Of inquiry, similar
to that which functioned in the dock
strike. In this strike, by the way,
the employer is the London County
Council, as far as the street car
men are concerned. The London
tramways are publicly owned"
The omnibus system is owned by
private capital: the London General
Omnibus Co.
And so--and so, under a Labor
Government (save the markD thou
sands of men are engaged in bitter
struggle for living wage. And the
of course, immediately
thC bAdIopOIt byblcTl,
in the name Of the workers Of Bri-
tain, and settles the dispute in the
mems favor. Does IT'D IL does not
1t is not that kind of labor govern
ment. What 1t does do, is to appoint
a court of inquiry which, in week
or two will give a decision, probably
a compromise one, which the govern
ment will beg the workers to accept.
Macs Gold Braids.
But there Is one thing for which
we may thank heaven. There has as
yet been no strike in the gold braid
industry. So Mr.. Macdonald, Mr..
Webb, Lord Olivier, the Labor" Sec
rotary Of India--which is now trying
to send Indian workingmen to prison
for organizing a working class po-
litical party--can be sure Of being
able to renew their beautiful black
velvet, gold-braided knee breaches,
when the Labor" ministers kneei
TO kiss the kings hand. II is a pity
Il is only his hand. One can think
Of even more picturesque means by
which thew may axprese THAR IovaItv