The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-02-29
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS

IHuCH III lHe news IHeSe Gays, dCClVlCleS
of their labor movements are of special
interest. Reports received by the In
ternational Federation of Trade
Unions from Denmark, Sweden and
Norway show that labor in these ma
tions is bending all it's energies to pre-
vent profteering and protect workers
from hardships resulting from the
war, as far as possible.
Trade unions in the Scandinavian
countries, the IFTU says, are aware
that the war means great sacrifices
and burdens of all kinds for the neu-
trail Scandinavian countries also, and
that it will not be possible to carry
on life in the accustomed manner. The
trade unions aim is to make all the
burdens arising from the war as bear
able as possible for the working peo-
pie.
The close ties between the trade
unions and the Social-Democrat par
ties, which have an important place in
the governments of the three coun-
tries, have ensured a certain voice in
affairs to the unions, which provides
g guarantee that the demands of the
workers will be given as much con-
sideration as the circumstances allow
X X x
In all three countries Legislative
and other action has been taken by
the government to protect industry
and the population from the worse
effects of the crisis. To this end
special government committees have
been set up for different sections of
industry, with the task of keeping in
dustry going, ensuring the supply of
raw materials, examining and main
tanning employment possibilities and
supervising prices.
The trade unions are represented on
all these committees but their work is
not confined to this field. They are
actively engaged in trying to bring
about a equilibrium between wages
and the repidly rising prices.
In Sweden the end of the year is
the time for giving notice of termin-
alton of collective agreements, which
cover about 425,0O0 workers, and
which came into force on January 1
or February /, 1888. On September
6 last, the Swedish National Trade
Union Centre held conference of
trade union executives to consider the
whole situation and decide on the
policy to be pursued regarding col
lective agreements. This conference
took the view that care should be
taken when the new agreements were
concluded in order to assure the pur-
chasing power Of wages to the great
est possible degree, either through
limiting the life of the agreement or
by tying wages to the cost Of living
index.
In Denmark, where most agreements
would have expired on March ], 1910,
action has been taken to prolong them
to March l, 1941, while at the same
time a guarantee has been given that
wages will be kept in line with the Of
fetal cost of living index.
In Norway, collective agreements
expire on April /, 1910. Negotiations
have taken place with the employers
organizations and demands have been
put forward on the workers side for
wage increases to meet the rise in the
cost of living; negotiations are now
taking place i'll the separate indus
tries.
At the end of last September, con-
ference was held in Gothenburg
(Sweden) of the presidents of the ma
tional labor organizations of Den
mark, Norway and Sweden to consider
the collective agreements situation
and the general position of the trade
unions. 1t was stated at that time
that the trade unions of all three
countries were prepared to use all
their force and influence in order to
defend as effectively as possible the
interests Of the workers in this time
of emergency