The daily worker., 1930-05-06
Bv WILLIAM RUST LOndOnl.

AM writing from Bradford the center OF
/ the great woolen strike, which embraces
over 100000 workers. the majority of whom
are not organized in the trade unions
The great mills which have churned out
such huge profits are silent and deserted. Not
workers, but groups of police, sent there by
the labor government, hang about the mill
gates threatening the strikers and offering
protection to scabs.
The spirit of the strikers, large percentage
of whom are girls, is splendid They have
rallied to the picket lines at a. m. and with
great enthusiasm maintained the firmness OF
their ranks. They have fought with the police
and in many cases compelled mills to close
down few days in the strike area is suf-
ficient proof of the rehabilitation of the Brit
ish working class and the growth of that rev.
olutionary spirit which is rising higher and
higher every day.
When one considers how the joint forces of
the employers, trade union officials and labor
government have plotted and planned for years
to break the fighting front of the workers and
force wage reductions on them, 1t Is truly
inspiring to see how they stand firm in re-
sistance despite the power of the enemy forces.
Fakers Compromise.
Of course a large number of workers are not
involved in the strike so far. These consist
of workers in the heavy woollen districts, where
wage cuts were imposed last year, mills where
the trade union officials secured a compromise
wage cut of 5 per cent, and mills where GER
tain employers have not posted lockout notices
and some isolated cases where the workers ac-
cepted reductions without resistance.
Therefore the unofficial Central Strike Com
mittee has issued the call for "All Out" and is
concentrating its efforts on extending the
strike right throughout the district
What are the employers demanding? They
want to reduce wage rates by l shilling, 10A
pence in the pound from time-workers, 1
shilling and 9 pence in the pound from piece
workers and to abolish the special juvenile
wage rates.
At present wages are very, very low. In
1927 the ministry of labor stated that wages
averaged 2 pounds (about $10) a week, a
figure which includes the higher paid skilled
workers. In 1880 the average is now much
below that figure in consequence of the eX-
tension of short-time working. A girl told
me that she gets 81 shillings and 3 pence
(about $7.75) for a 48-hour week, with no pos
sibility of an increase if she remains at the
firm for another 20 years. A married woman
stated that when working full time her wages
amounted to a little over 2 pounds a week,
but during the last two years they have aver
aged only l pound ($5) a week, and that in
the weeks prior to the strike her wages were
only II shillings and 4 pence, Is shillings and
8 pence and 19 shillings and pence a week.
1t is no wonder that such workers say: eve
will not accept wage reductions We are going
to win this strike"
Workers Fighting Spirit.
The most significant features of this strike
are the determination and fighting spirit Of
the workers and the fact that the new revolu-
tionary leadership has come to the forefront
for the first TIME in a mass strike.
The strike of the wooen workers makes a
tremendous development of the mass struggle
against the labor government for the political
character of this struggle is very sharp and
clear. For years the employers have carried
on guerilla warfare against the workers, try
ing to enforce cuts wherever favorable op-
portunity occurred
The advent of the labor government and the
subsequent naturalization drive dictated by
the finance capitalists increased the pressure
on the woollen workers The trade union Of
ficials were in the forefront of the capitalist
attack. When the employers demanded an S3
per cent reduction last September, the union
bureaucrats offered to accept a 1925 per cent
cut-a difference of rs per cent, Negotia-
tions broke down when the workers were bal
lotted and rejected all wage cuts by four to
one majority.
Leadership of Communist Party.
Then followed the sectional attacks in var-
Gus districts which did not succeed because of
the strong campaign of the Communist Party
and the Minority Movement and the deter
mined resistance of the working class.
Failing to enforce reductions by these meth
DDS, the labor government resorted to arbitra-
ton, and for this purpose they set up a one
man industrial court, consisting of Lord Mac
MILAN, on whom a peerage had been specially
conferred in order to add to his prestige.