Trade Unions and Government
One significant fact about the Trades Union Congress which opens at Bridlington cxr Monday, perhaps the most significant, is that it is the last Congress before a General Election. Theoretically repre- senting the industrial side of the Labour movement, while the Labour Party represents the political side, the T.U.C., by its attitude towards the Government's general policy, or certain parts of it, could either force certain modifications of that policy or alternatively seriously diminish the Government's prospects of success at the polls. Which course events will take is not clear, owing to doubts as to the readi- ness of the rank and file to accept their leaders' views. The leaders themselves are in a difficult position. Some of them, indeed, are no longer leaders, because they have accepted well-paid posts on boards of nationalised industries, where, in spite of the demand for larget trade union representation on the boards, they are regarded by their fellow unionists with some envy and some suspicion. The leaded who remain must, however much they may appreciate the necess9 of co-operating with the Government in the national interest. avoid
as best they can the charge of being mere Government men. A serious test is likely to arise at Bridlington over the relation of wage-demands to national solvency. The Government no doubt timed two of its latest steps—the cut of 5 per cent. in utility clothing and the announcement of a similar reduction in Government expen- diture—with next week's Congress in view. But the T.U. Council's own resolution calling on the Congress to " reject unhesitatingly all proposals involving the lowering of wages, the lengthening of hours of labour or a contraction of the social services " is a plain challenge which the Government cannot ignore, unless it chooses to recognise the T.U.C. openly as its master. Hours in some trades ought to be reduced ; some contraction of social service expenditure and some further reduction of food subsidies there must be. The alternative is a swift transition from full employment to unemployment on an alarming scale.
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