The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-05-09
The Serious Struggle IN the
Austrian Metal Industry

influence of the Communist Incl
ters, who also this time, as on
every former occasion, have is
sued the strike slogan right from
the beginning. 1t is they who
are responsible for the partial
strikes which have broken out be-
fore the decision. :"
Whilst the working class is pre-
pared to conduct the struggle with
determination, the social democratic
trade union leaders are attempting
behind the backs of the workers, tC
come to terms with the employers
The "Arbeiter-Zeitung" proposes tC
The employers that they grant 81
per cent wage increase, but to hole
back the money and to pay it IL
those weeks when the holidays occur
The "Reichspost" ridicules the So
cial democrats and writes:
"Why does the social democracy
grant to the employers the right
to retain a portion Of the workers
wages as a wage deposit? So far
as we know the employers have
not demanded such a thing and do
not intend to retain a portion of
the workers wages. Does the So
cial democracy consider the work
ing class to be incapable of ra-
tionally eXpending their wages
themselves whemthey suggest that
the employers should be made the
administrators of a portion of
their wages ?"
Extend Struggle.
The Committee of Action Of the
metal workers opposition has is
sued a leaflet in which it points to
the necessity Of extending the strug-
gle of all automobile factories, and
states that the employers will go
over to the offensive if the workers
do not take up the fight for the
of their standard or
living.
On March Both the workers of the
two remaining Vienna automobile
factories were locked out in accord
ance with a decision of the Indus
trialists' Federation. A further q
500 metal workers have been locked
out in Graz, because the workers OF
a big metal works beat up II fas-
cists who are employed in this works
and refused to allow them to enter
the works any more, because these
fascists had, along with their col
leagues, destroyed the workers club
premises in Andritz, near Graz. The
federation demanded the
readmission of the fas-
cists, which demand was rejected by
the workers.
In the meantime this struggle
also has been throttled by the capitu-
lation of the metal workers secre-
taries in Syria, and the workers
have resumed work despite the fact
that the fascists are being kept on
in the works.-Ed.)
The Industrialists' Federation has
declared that, in the event
of the workers in the automobile in
dustry insisting upon their demands
and strike breaking out, the work
ers in the Vienna big metal industry
will be locked out ten days after the
commencement of the struggle il
the automobile industry. Forty thou
sand workers would be affected b.
this measure. AS a second stage tn,
workers of the big metal works O.
the whole of Austria will be LOCKED
out. This would involve in all mor'
than 100000 workers.
The Seipel government has al
ready interviewed in the interest O
the capitalists. The following of
ficial government declaration wa
published:
with regard to the wage con-
flict in the metal industry the as
sertion was made that in the event
of lockout in this industry, in
which collective agreement is
still in force, the locked out work.
ers are entitled to receive unem-
ployment benefit. In order to pre-
vent any misapprehensions arising
it must be called to mind that ac-
cording to paragraph A Of the I'M
employment benefit law there ex-
lists no claim to benefit if unem-
ployment is the result of cessation
of work caused by a strike or
lockout, and that during the whole
term of cessation of work."
This shows clearly how completed.
united is the front against the strug
Cling Austrian metal workers. Il
the great disputes which are nov
taking place beteen the metal work
ers and the employers of Austria
the Communist Party is the onl,
Party which clearly shows to tn
struggling workers the correct wa.
to victory 4,