The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-08-20

organize national delegate conferences
to enable the District Associations TO
discuss matters Of Common concern.
The N.F.G.B. has fought hard on many
occasions to secure recognition from
the mineowners as q national negotiat.
ing body. But this claim has been
strongly resisted and wages and work
ing conditions in the several coalfelds
are regulated by separate agreements
made by the District Associations with
the mineOwners in each coalfield.
The situation has changed for the
of the Government scheme of war
time control over the mining industry.
This scheme embOdieS acceptance of
the principle of national negotiations,
and the establishment of national
minimum wage-the same wage for all
strengthened the movement towards
the creation of single compact union
of minewOrkers. 1t has become indeed,
almost practical necessity for the
miners to have single national union
to unity their policy. This is due TO
the decision of the Government that
mineOwners and mineworkers must be
brought into consultation on the pro-
pOsal to establish permanent machinery
for dealing, against the background of
a continuous review, both nationally
and locally with questions of wages
on1 x.npl.inn conditions in tal
mining industry. The MF.GB. EXecu-
tive have prepared scheme for ANAL
gamating the District Associations,
corresponding to this reorganization of
the mining industry on national lines.
This scheme has been accepted in prin-
ciple by the miners delegate confer
ence, and will now be referred to the
District Unions for consideration and
ratification, through a special national
delegate conference later ON.
Similar discussions are maturing
among the Unions which are being
! brought into closer association with
| one another in the engineering and
allied trades. The largest Union in this
group of trades, the ANA lgamated En-.
gineering Union, has constantly advO
, Gated amalgamation of the numerous
. craft organizations with which its re-
lationships are becoming increasingly
intimate, and continuous. Government
al organization of the engineering and
. allied trades for purposes of war pro
! ductiOn has neceSSitated the creation
: of Joint Production Committees in the
. workshops, which aQord representation
, to all the Unions with members in the
, shops Similarly the creation of Dis
trict Production Committees, likewise
. representative of these Unions, rein
forces the argument for amalgamation
Works Committees Now Exist
Many hundreds of works committee:
are now in existence. The Trade:
Unions District Production COMMITTEES
are multiplying too. They bring to
gether in continuous association shol
stewards belonging to the Amalgam
ated Engineering Union. the Confedera
tion of Shpbuilding and Engineerin.
Unions, the National Union of Foundr.
Workers, and the Association of En-
gineering and Shipbulding Draughts
: men, on the workshop level; and ful
time officials and elected representa-
}. tives of these same Unions are brough
!. together in the District Production
;. Committees.
1t will be understood that for th
. time being these workshop committee
:, and District Committees will hay,
their hands full in dealing with da,
to day problems of production. That i
= the prime purpose for which they hav
v been set up. They are empowered t
consult with and advise management
:, upon all questions connected with TIN