Evening star., 1947-06-09
Utility Workers Quit
In Paris Area, Subway
Strike Is Rumored
By IL. Asseeio,.d Press

| BY the Associosed Press
PARIS. June 9.-Plagued by a
nationwide railroad strike, France
was threatened today by another
serious labor situation as public
utility workers walked of the job
in several plants near the capital.
Gas and electricity plant workers
struck at ST. Etienne and Montlu-
con, and some of the Paris suburbs
were expected to be without gas
this afternoon. The workers acted
several hours before the government
was to inform their union of what
concessions it was willing to grant.
/ Premier Paul Ramadier succeeded
in averting a threatened nation
wide 24-hour utility plant strike 10
days ago by ordering reQuisition of
the workers Agreement was reached
for an arbitrator-Paul Grunebaum-
Ballin-to work out an accord. The
deadline was last midnight.
4 Rail Strikers Make Bid.
j Mr.. Grunebaum-Ballin was ex-
pected to report to the union leaders
this afternoon. AS in the rail strike,
/ impatient workers struck prema-
turely, and it remained to be seen
whether Mr. Ramadier would react
in identical fashion-suspend fur
ther negotiations until the strike
ended.
\ Whispers of a strike on the Paris
Metro Subway also were heard.
Such stoppage, in conjunction with
the rail strike, would paralyze the
capital. A Metro official said today
that no decision had been made for
a strike, but that the subway union
workers possibly would take a def
mite stand before Friday. A 24-hour
token strike for higher wages has
been called for that day by the
Public Service Federation, of which
the subway workers union is a part
| A full government council session
was called to meet in the Office of
Socialist President Vincent Aurio! to
canvass the situation, which has in
creased in seriousness since the Ma
tional Railroad Workers Federation
called the railway strike early Friday
| for higher pay and Redistribution
of jobs.
Union leaders last night said they
were always disposed to negotiate
and hoped this appeal will be
heard" Mr.. Ramadier remainded
silent.
The transportation ministry, in
charge of the government-owned
railroads, planned to broaden sub
stitute transport services begun
yesterday. Long-distance bus serv-
ice was to be tripled and more extra
flights were to be added to Air
France, government line.
Industry waited to see how the
strike, which spread throughout the
country over the week end, would
cut factory forces. The nations
capital itself has some $4,000 COM
muterS.
Railroaders still moved foods, but
in some places local strike commit
tees stopped freight trains to ques-
tion their crews before letting them
go ahead. In Northern France yes
terday strikers halted SO coal trains.
Mr.. Ramadier-who last month
formed new cabinet without Com
muniStS-and other Socialists have
accused the Communist party of try
ing to exert pressure on French for
ejgn policy through domination of
| labor
Premier Called Stubborn Z
I IN speeches last night, Jacques
Duclos, Communist secretary, termed
the Premier stubborn and said
only those who would sell France
out to international trusts" were
against a strike settlement. He de-
clared that Frances foreign policy
was Sliding dangerously to the
right" threatening her independ-
ence. He called for "a union of the
working class to lead France
back to the left"
Buses substituting for passenger
trains began moving early yesterday
out of Paris main railroad stations
and out of crowded emergency
bus terminal set up in the Esplanade
des InvalideS, a square between
Napoleon's tomb and the Seine
River. The first were bound mostly
for points within 100 miles of the
capital
Moving out of the terminals also
were many private automobiles
whose owners had chalked fares and
destinations on their windshields
and set themselves up as common
carriers.
Air France yesterday put on extra
flights to Marseille and Lyon in
Southern France, Strasbourg in the
east and other points, and military
planes carried passengers to Bor-
deaux, Toulouse. Brest and else
where.
Passenger automobiles and trucks
brought many travellers from Calais
on the English Channel In Lon
don, the British Foreign Office char
tered four private passenger planes
to get Britons home from Paris and
British Overseas Airways put on re-
lief fiohtc