Evening star., 1946-02-16
Britain Reconts on
General Strike Bon
United States, However, Moves
Toward Stricter Controls
Bv Berfram Benedict

By Berfram Benedict
The legal ban on general strikes In
Great Britain is in process of being re-
pealed by Parliament. The ban was i'm
posed by a Conservative Parliament in
1927, following the British general strike
of 1926. Meanwhile, strong sentiment is
developing in the United States Senate
to amend the Case antistrike bill, passed
by the House last week, SO as to forbid.
by law, perhaps in favor of compulsory
arbitration, general strikes or strikes
which paralyze whole communities by
shutting down public utilities or utility
type industries.
In 1925 the British miners turned over
their months-old strike to the British
Trades Union Congress. This body &C
cepted sponsorship, thus turning the
coal strike into general strike. The
Baldwin ministry called the general
strike blow at government ITSELF used
the army and navy to move food, en-
rolled volunteers to help man the rail-
roads and other transportation facilities.
The highest British court ruled that
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Trade Union Congress called it off after
10 days. The coal strike continued.
In the following year Parliament
enacted the Trade Disputes and Trade
Unions Act which in effect banned gen.
eral and also sympathetic strikes. Spe-
cifically, strike was made illegal il
its object were to inf1ict hardship on
tho to he
ernment directly, or to do anything
except carry out trade dispute.
If strike coming under this ban
were called, trade union funds were
made liable for damages caused an
employer. Penalties were provided for
persons breaking service contract with
public authority with reason to be-
lieve that thus the entire community
would be harmed. And unions were
forbidden to assess any member for
contributions to political fund unless
he notified the union he was willing to
be assessed.
Recently the United States has
learned that general strike is not
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activity of whole community strike
of comparatively few workers in key
industry will do the trick. The tugboat
strike in New York, the transit strike
in Philadelphia, and the power strike
in Pittsburgh led to brief shutdowns Of
most economic activities in those cities.
The United States has learned also
how complicated strike picture can,be.
In New York two-hour strike of all
CIO unions had been called for last
| Monday, only to be rescinded almost
| Immediately on pressure from national
CIO headquarters. The tugboat strike,
| which then had much the effect of a
! general strike, is that of an AFL union,
| led by right-wing labor leader CRyan).
The Philadelphia trolley strikers were
CIO; the Pittsburgh power strikers were
an independent union.
In Philadelphia the strike was ended
by agreement, in Pittsburgh by reopen
ing of negotiations. In New York the
strikers agreed to accept the arbitration
of Mayor O'Dwyer, the operators re-
| fused. On Lincoln's Birthday the Auto
Workers, who have agreed to accept the
1917 cents an hour increase recommended
by Government fact-flnding agency.
rejected an 1872 cents increase offered
by General Motors; the union argues
that it is now GIN which is on strike.
| against Government award. On Tues
day Prof. Slchter of Harvard told
luncheon meeting in New York that
when Government Board has found
for specific wage figure, it is pretty
difficult" for labor leader to accept
less.
In the general strike in San Fran
cisco in July, 1884, the city's economic
/ life had been paralyzed several days
before the general strike went into eff
feet, when the truckmen struck in sym-
pathy with striking longshoremen and
marine workers, and stopped trucks
coming into the city The general strike
was called off after three days. when
conservative labor leaders had regained
control of the situation.