Evening star., 1938-06-18
10000 FRENCH
THREATEN STRIKE
Daladier's Dismissal of
Parliament Incenses
'F0ncti0naires.'
BACKGROUND

The French troubled economic
situation for months has been re-
fected in general strikes Gorern-
n,ent employees. who are closely
unionized, are among the porkers =.
e ap'lo hare felt. the pinch Of the de-
palndtion OF the franc. They hoped
to gain an incyeuse in p9v, during .
the mobilization" special session of
Parliament.
By the Associated Press. =,
PARIS. June 1s-The Union o,
Public Service Workers today in
structed Frances 100000 government,
employees to make immediate prepara-
tions for q general strike to force the
government to grant blanket wage
increases
The Central Committee Of the
Union-which includes railroad, tele-
graph. telephone and postal employees
as well as the civil service personnel
ordered its subordinate units ito take
all measures necessary to give the
preparations the maximum efficiency.
The committee issued its strike
threat last night after Premier
EdOuard Daladier had stified parlia-
mentary debate ON demands of the
union by adjourning Parliament until
November and had refused to Use the
cabinets dictatorial decree powers to
grant the demands.
A special session of the union COM
mittee-the third within two days
was called this morning to plan the
strategy for the tie-up, which would
be particularly embarrassing to the
government If it were called just before
the arrival of the British King and
Queen for their state visit June %
Ask 10 Per Cent Boost.
The workers had hoped that Social
lists and Communists in Parliament
who had been committed to their sup.
port, would be able to force action
but the hasty adjournment after q
session Of only Is days wrecked these
hopes.
Socialist and Communist members
Of the Chamber Of Deputies, protest.
ing the adjournment, voted against
the government on the technical ques-
ton of approval Of the minutes OF
the meeting, but the motion was
passed by a vote of 257 to 241. It
did not involve a question of conf
dence.
The government employees are ask.
ing q 10 per cent wage increase to
meet the rising cost Of living caused
by devaluation Of the franc. Premier
Daladier told them that their demands
would throw the budget out of balance
and upset his whole plan for reviving
Frances economic life. He promised
to see what could be done in the 1898
budget.
A communique issued by the union
committee declared the governments
failure to act left mo recourse except
the forms of action which workers in
private industry have used with such
success"
Start at $z77.
SOScA cAhAcAs cIuplUycS, OE IONCClOn-
aires" who operate all Frances vital
services in the smallest villages as well
as Paris. usually start out at the age
Of 81 with an annual salary of 10000
francs (about $277). This increases
according to length Of service to q
maximum of 10000 francs (about
$4,155).
An hour after the premier adjourned
Parliament his supporters in the For
eign Affairs Committee Of the Chamber
Of Deputies rejected q Communist
resolution proposing France open her
Pyrenees Mountains frontier to aid
government Spain.
A government spokesman warned
the committee that French abandon.
ment Of non-intervention might wreck
the country's union with Great Britain
and isolate the nation in relations with
Germany, Italy and insurgent Spain.
Premier Daladier is ruling by decree
powers which expire July 81, but ever
after they are taken away he will have
virtually a free hand. With Parlia.
ment adjourned, there can be no ad.
verse vote in the Chamber. Only Dir
unexpected crisis requiring q specia
session could alter this.