21 MAY 1937, Page 3

The Bus Strike The probable duration of the London bus

strike, which is now entering on its fourth week, will be largely dermined by the response the tram and trolley men make to the busmen's appeal to them to come out in sympathy. The prospect is that it will be negative, for the tramwaymen work longer *hours than the busmen, and are not disposed to rate the latter's grievances high. The final decision, moreover, rests with the executive of the Transport and General Workers' Union, which is determined to do everything possible to prevent the strike from spreading. Mr. Bevin, the general 'secretary of the Union, speaking at Blackpool on Monday, denounced in uncompromising language the Communist minority withiti the unions who had engineered unofficial strikes in Scotland and are known to be the moving spirits in the Central Bus Committee which has brought the London buses to a standstill. It is to be noted that it is no bigoted capitalist who thus exposes Communist activities, but one of the ablest and most experienced trade-union leaders, whose methods have done ten times as much for his rank-and-file as irresponsible agitation can. The same agencies are working to the same effect in the coal-fields; there is no greater danger to the whole trade-union movement than the apathy of the vast majority of members in face of the activities of an advanced and resolute minority. So far as the buses are concerned, the men are beginning to realise that the Union executive would have done far better for them than the Central Bus Committee can.

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