The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-13
Czecho-Slovak
Miners Fight
For Increases
By 0. B. (PRAGUE).

4 ~
has provoked a fresh wave Of :
great wage movements apd defen-
sive fights on the part of the work
ers In Czechoslovakia. At the head =
of the wage movements march the
miners of the Kladno district who
declared strike on October / and
fought it to finish. AS conse-
quence of increasing prices the min
ers are able to buy still less with
their wages than at the time of the
last miners strike in the year 1921
The miners earnings per shit are
now IL per cent less than in the
year 1928, and the purchasing power +
OF the miners wages is at present i,
only three-quarters of the average \
purchasing power of the last two
pre-war years.
Furthermore, the conditions of the
miners are getting worse and worse
in consequence of naturalization.
Since 1921 $4,000 miners have been
dismissed from the mines in Czecho-
slovakia and, in spite of the fact
that instead of the pre-war nine;
hour day there is now only an eight
hour day, output has increased.
The miners have increased their out
put over pre-war level by 80 per
cent and over that of 1920 by nearly
100 per cent. The insane speeding
up methods of naturalization cause
a great many accidents, the number
in 1927 being twice that of 1920,
although $4,000 fewer workers were
engaged in 1927 than in the year
1920. The wage item in the
cost of coal in 1927 was 1874 per
cent as compared with AL per cent
in 1912.
Role of Reformists.
The change for the worse in the
conditions of the miners as COM
pared with 1920 is not only a con-
sequence of naturalization and of
the general offensive of capital, but
also of the fact that the masses OF,
the miners have been split up by
their reformist leaders.
THE Kladno miners, most of whom
are members of the Red Miners
Section of the International Work
ers Federation of Czechoslovakia,
responded with open fight against
the worsening of their living condi-
tions, as soon as the employers re-
jected their demands for wage in
crease of II per cent. Instead of
granting the wage increase de-
manded by the miners, the employ
ers offered wage increase of 2
per cent for fixed maximum out
put and prolonged working hours,
which offer amounted to impudent
provocation of the whole body of
miners.
The strike at Kladno is of con-
siderable significance. The Kladno
miners gave the battle signal not
only to the miners of other districts
of Czechoslovakia, but to the whole
of the working masses. The strike
is complete. Altogether there are
On strike 5000 miners from all the
mines of the Kladno- Schlan district.
The common strike committee, COM
posed of delegates of all the min
ers' organizations of the district, is
directing the strike. Under the
pressure of the miners fighting
spirit the refornist organizations of
the district were compelled to de-
clare their solidarity with the strike
and carry it on. The strike is be-
coming more serious from day to
day, because the arrangements of
the mines are resorting to various
| forms of provocation. For instance,
at several mines notice was given
to members of the mine committee
and under the protection of the gen.
darmerie an action for the enlist
ment of strikebreakers was organ
lied. At several places in the dis
trict there have already been col
lisions between the miners and
strikebreakers. The wives of the
miners are displaying particular en-
ergy in the fight against strike
breakers.
In other districts of Czechoslova-
kia, too, there is keener fighting
spirit among the miners, who every
where declare their solidarity with Y
the united fight for an increase of
wages.
.
Prague, October IL, 1928.