The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-28
FASCIST RULERS
FIGHT EUROPE'S
RAIL WORKERS
Wage Slashing and Out
lawry in Many Lands

Great Britain are striking against
their profiteering bosses the condi-
tions of the railroad workers on the
continent are fully as bad as the
conditions the English workers struck
against. In many countries on the
continent Fascist rule outlaws
strikes. The working force on most
Of the roads have been cut, hours
working conditions lowered. A re-
port Of the conditions of the railroad
workers in various countries is sub
joined.
Switzerland.
The Swiss government is reducing
it's staff, lowering wages and also
making a determined attack on the
eight-hour day. Last May the gen
eral management endeavoured to
extend the working day to nine hours
and longer, altho 5000 less work
ers were employed than in the previ-
Gus year. The organized workers
we're able to fend off this attempt
for the time being; but they are. now
threatened with an even more drastic
attack upon their working conditions.
Czecho- Slovakia.
Slowly the few advantages which
the Czeche- Slovakian railroad work
ers have gained for themselves in
years of struggle had been wrestled
from them. The bill passed in the
Cxecho-S lovakian government, "to
conduct the state railroads as a pri-
vate enterprise" swept away the last
vestiges Of protective legislative for
railroad workers.
Holland.
The Dutch government has made
number Of changes in the wages
of the state railroad employees, these
changes being naturally all to the
disadvantage of state employees.
The government has now introduced
four grade system with disastrous
effect upon the already scantily lined
pocket-book of the workers. Wages
Of Dutch tramwaymen have also been
reduced.
Belgium.
After the general strike Of last
May, in which the Belgian post, tele-
graph and railroad workers fought
SO heroically but were betrayed by
the reformist leaders, the Belgian
parliament is now projecting the
enactment of a bill forbidding all
government employees from strik-
ing.
France.
After defeat of the great strike in
1920, $4,000 French railroad workers
were discharged, and, during 1921
and 1922, another $4,000 were dis
missed. Now $4,000 more workers
have been taken from the French
railroads and sent to the Ruhr. The
Minister of Railroads has taken ad-
vantage of this shortage of hands to
declare necessary an extension Of the
working day.
Italy.
Brutal persecution, mass dismissal,
wage reductions and the 12-hour day
such are the fruits of the fascist
rule for Italian railroadmen. The
Black-shirts go so far as to follow
the movements of dismissed railroad
men, who have been active union
men, in order to prevent them getting
jobs in other branches Of industry.
As the government also refuses to
issue to such workers the Necessary
permission to emigrate, these men
are practically condemned to years
Of unemployment and hunger.
Bulgaria.
Even before the advent of fascist
rule in Bulgaria, the personnel of the
Bulgarian railroads was reduced
from $500 to 17,160, and the wages
reduced to 81 per cent Of the pre-war
rate. Instead of the eight-hour day
the Bulgarian workers received the
16-hour day.
Germany.
In Germany, except in Bavaria,
fascism is not yet officially in power.
But the lot Of the railroad workers
there can hardly be differentiated
from that of their brothers in the
fascist-ruled countries. The 8-hoH1
day exists but as a formula, various
amendments to the 8-hour rule hav-
ing virtually destroyed it. The Ger
man railroad worker finds it impos-
sible to live, even in the most frugal
manner, on his wages, which are
about one-twenty-fourth of the Amer
lean railroad workers wage, and one
bWChOiStH Ol the DIAbion. lNOL only
for the railroad workers, but for all
workers in Germany things are rapid
ly approaching a crisis in the land
of the SHINES dictatorship.
Norway.
In their amendment to the 1920
S-hour-day law, the masters have
perpetrated the following joke on
the Norwegian railroad workers. This
10 how "hours" are to be reckoned
in future:
For light work ~ hours equals
hour; for travelling time IA hours
equals l hour; for waiting time 4
hours equals / hour.
However, the Norwegian railroad
workers do not seem much TO APP
preciate this form Of humor. In
Norway the high cost Of living bonus
has also been done away with; and,
during the last is months, wages
have been reduced to about 30 per