The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-08-21
LABOR news
FROM BRITAIN
. UNREST IN NAZI EUROPE
. SABOTAGE INCREASES
. SERVICES IMPROVES

London.--Reports collected by two
international Trade Union organiza-
tions concerning conditions in the oc-
cupied countries show widespread I'M
rest, discomfort and even revolt. The
news is authentic.
Officials of both the International
Federation Of Trade Unions 0FTU)
and the International Transport
Workers Federation QTF) tell me
that their underground connections
with continental countries under Nazi
domination yield a constant flow of
valuable information.
Here are some significant data sum-
married. from the latest reports to
reach my desk:
Holland: The Dutch Nazi daily
paper complains that members of the
Nazi movement are spat at, Knocked
and abused. When the Dutch SA
marches through the streets there is
jeering and catcalls. Even the Nazi-
controlled radio station complains bit
terly that the Dutch people "have all
become children again We are
members of secret societies We
raise the first and second fingers of
the right hand in the air, forming the
letter 'V' to indicate the English word
Victory -. . We write on walls and
cut telephone wires"
Norway: Describing the Trade
Unions as "decayed dunghills" the
Nazi organ, "Fritt Folk" has an
nounced that the unions are to be
purged, and $50 Nazi cells are to be
set up for the purpose. A huge mass
of illegal literature is in circulation.
Acts of sabotage are increasing. Even
strikes occur: the docker workers at
Oslo went on strike, for instance, be-
cause the sports club and all it's
equipment were confscated.
Belgium: Extensive strikes have oc-
Cured in the Belgian mining districts.
Attempts to enforce a wage cut of
about tenpence day caused such tre-
mendous resentment that the whole
district was placed under martial
law, but nevertheless the wage re
ductjon had to be withdrawn. Metal
workers in the Liege district have
also been on strike and were joined
by textile workers, miners and road
workers, in support of a demand for
the doubling of food rations and 25
per cent wage increase. The Belgian
press was strictly forbidden to men,
tion these strikes although the Liege
stoppage involved 125,000 workers.
France: One method of secret
propaganda in operation is the
SNOWFALL chain letter" which circu-
lates very widely. 1t carries a line
from the "Marseillaise" proclaiming
Republicans are men, slaves are
Children" and is called the "Chain
of Liberty" The text is directed
against the predatory Nazis and those
Frenchmen who capitulated to them
and the final appeal of the letter is:
"Do not break the chain. Multiply
the text as many times as you car
and pass it on to your friends with
the request that they do the same
Small streams unite to form mighty
rivers"
State Insurance Extends
Big changes are pending in the
British scheme of national health in,
surance contributory pensions anC
workmen's compensation. They are
embodied in an amending bill now
before Parliament The main purpose
Of the bill is to increase the weekly
rates of sickness and disablement
benefits by 3s. week, and to eXtenC
the scheme to all non-manual work.
ers who earn less than i42O a year.
The increased state expenditure or
account of this IS. addition to health
insurance benefits will amount tc
about &1,300,000 a year. Ordinary
sickness benefits for men will be
raised from lbs. to 1Ss a week, anC
the mems disablement allowance from
Is. Cd. to les. cd. a week. The cor
responding allowances for unmarried
women and widows are to be raised
from 12s. to 15s. for sickness ant
from 6s to 9s. for disablement; willis
married women will get 13s. instea,
of los. for sickness and IS. instead 0.
5s. week for disablement.
These increased benefits will cos
the insured workpeople an additiona
penny week
"White Collar" Workers to Be
Included
Importance attaches to the raising
of the income limit for inclusion il
the state schemes of health and pen
sions insurance. The Trade Union
have been pressing for a long tim'
for the arbitrary limit Of $3.50 yea
to be altered. There are large mum
Der of "white collar" workers who's,
salaries put them just beyond the in
surance limits, but whose needs ar,
not less onerous' than those of tn
manual workers insured under tn
state scheme.
The new arrangement brings ;
large number of non-manual worker
inside the state insurance scheme
The number Of salaried workers wh
will be brought in to state health in
surance by the raising of the income
limit is more than 100000, and abou