The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-10-10
Workers StdY On
Continued from Page One)

and the carrying of American citizens
to ports of embarkation for their
transatlantic journey complicated the
railwaymen's problems.
Nearly 200 trains had to be put on
to make 62O trips from the seven
ports to which the 100000 fighting
men in the British Expeditionary
Force were brought from Dunkirk;
and another hundred trains were need
ed to assist the evacuation of the
civilian population from the Channel
Islands.
And to complete the picture, John
Marchbank told me the railwaymen
used their leisure-time (when not on
Home Guard duty) to put into cuti-
vation $500 acres of ground along
side the railway tracks to grow vege-
tables and fruit. That gave one a
glimpse of the railwaymen's sang
froid.
Workers Annual Parliament
Delegates and executive officers of
more than 200 Trade Unions are now
studying the agenda and annual re-
port of the Trades Union Congress,
and making their preparations for the
journey to Southport, the Lancashire
seaside resort where the Congress
will open on the first Monday of Oc-
tober.
The Congress is the great annual
parliament of the organized British
| of
in the Unions that will have repre-
sentation in the assembly. It's sessions
will extend this year over no more
than three days, instead of the GUS
tomary six, and it will be an extreme
ly spirited, businesslke affair.
The agenda of the Congress ensures
this. 1t carried al resolutions, on
variety of topics; but both the agenda
and the report of the Congress Gen
eral Council have a special section
this year headed "Trade Unions and
the War" Under this heading most
of the important discussions will be
concerned with practical proposals for
the more efficient organization of in
dustry's war effort, and for planning
ahead
For instance, one Union wants the
Government to overhaul the perman-
ent "blackout" arrangements in all
workshops and to make better arrange
ments with removable blinds which
will let light in when it is safe to lift
them. Another Union wants the Gen
eral Council to consider Immediately
the postwar position of industry and
to prepare plans for meeting a pos
sible slump.
A third Union proposes that an ap-
proach should be made to the Minister
of Labor to secure Regulation MAX
ing it obligatory on all workers to
become members Of Trade Unions for
the duration Of the war;
A fourth Union thinks it is timely
to insist on equality of status for
women workers, on the same level as
that of men; and fifth Union urges
in the same connection that all wo-
mems labor introduced in industry on
mems work shall be paid the appro-
pirate make rate for the job.
The biggest issues of debate, how
ever, are contained in the General
Councils report This is a weighty
document which gives detailed ex-
panaton of the machinery established
by the T. u. c.. and its affiliated
Unions for consultation and cooper
alton on all matters of policy and ad-
) ministration action arising out of the
conduct Of the nations war effort.
Nothing like this cooperative sys-
TEN has ever been evolved before.
This network Of consultative councils,
advisory boards, panels and commit
tees could only be evolved by the free
action of great organized movement
the authority and status of which is
frankly recognized by the Government
and the organized employers.
Ambassadors of Good Will
For the first time in nearly fifty
years the delegates to the Trades
Union Congress will have no oppor-
tunity of welcoming fraternal dele
gates from the American Federation
OF Labor.
Though American citizens can't
come to Britain, this restriction hap
PLY does not apply to transatlantic
journeys by British citizens, and dis
| cussions are now proceeding with a
view to arranging that the British II
: u. C. shall as usual send their en-
bassy of good will to the A. F. of L.
convention which meets this year at
New Orleans.