Evening star., 1949-08-20
Finland d'slabor
FederationGiives
Reds Ultimatum
Unions Ordered to
Call Off Strike or
Face Expulsion
BY the Associated Press

FlnlanQ S central 1TdQe Union
Federation has acted against the
Communicated unions growing
offensive. 1t ordered them to
cancel their strike call or face ex-
pulsion.
The move, which threatened to
split the federation wide open,
came on the heels of a govern
ment breakdown on the nation
wide strike offensive which al
ready has caused bloodshed.
BY a vote of 8 to the fedora
tion's Executive Committee de-
,ided to order four striking unions
to call off their walkouts before
August % or get out of the fed
Grafton.
The move was directed against
the dockers, food workers, build
ing construction workers and the
forestry workers and loggers' un-
ion.
The federation made it clear
that the textile. leather, shoe and
rubber workers union, who also
have scheduled strikes, would be
kicked out if the strike calls are
not Cancelled.
Reds Denounce Police Action.
Meanwhile, the Finnish Com
munist Party called on President
Juho Paasikivi to denounce
Thursdays police action against
striking lumberiacks at the north
ern village of Kemi.
A letter to Paasikivi claimed the
clash was the first in the history
of the Finnish labor movement
in which police on government
orders had used firearms against
unarmed strikers.
The party accused Unto VAR
tonen, minister without portfolio,
and Interior Minister Aare Simon
en- of provoking incidents in the
strike area and later using the
incidents as pretext for attack
ing the workers.
The Communists claimed the
arrests of strike leaders consti-
tuted a violation of the constitu-
ton and of the peace treaty with
Russia.
The Popular Democrats, who
differ from the Communists in
name only. also sent a letter to
the President.
Red Leaders Arrested.
The government, which has
promised to "inf1ict a crushing de-
feat on the Communists" already
has arrested number of Red
leaders, including two members
of the Kemi City Council.
Technically Finland has the
right under an emergency law OF
May, 1941. to declare any strike
illegal. The law empowers the
government to forbid a scheduled
strike and states that any strike
that has started shall cease.
The law does not stipulate what
action the government can take in
case a strike ban order is dis
obeyed.
The current strike offensive was
decided upon by the Communist
led unions after the devaluation
of the Finnish mark last June.
Union spokesman urged the fed
Grafton to take strong action for
higher wages, but the federation
said such actions were illegal.
A government spokesman has
declared the wave of strikes is a
planned Communist maneuver to
seize power and establish Red
government in Finland.
Crackdown Effect Varied.
The government breakdown ap-
peared to be having a varying eff
feet on different unions.
Food workers were reported re-
turning to work in many cities
and towns. Forestry workers and
loggers also began going back to
their jobs in greater numbers
since several units voted against
the strike.
The dockers' strike was tighten
ing. however. and even the port
of Hango, which the government
had promised to keep open for
foreign shipping, was idle. Eight
ships are tied up there waiting
to be unloaded.
Employers admitted that the
(See FINLAND, Page A-2D