Help'ng the Enemy
Mr. Bevin made it clear on Tuesday that the War Cabinet is pre- pared to take the most drastic steps to discipline the strikers in various industries who are, as he said, helping Hitler as much as if Sheffield were bombed and put out of action. It is fully time, and universal support will be behind such measures. As for the miners, the trouble occasioned by the anomalies of piece workers' wages arising out of the higher minimum was at least intelligible. But no sooner is that question settled to the advantage of the men than some 9o,000 miners in South Yorkshire go on strike on the trivial ground that 3s. 6d. a week, the value of the home coal re- ceived by householders, has been deducted from their higher wages —in other words, that they do not get it both ways by having the advantages of the National Wage negotiations, which they have always demanded, and in addition the district advantages which are incompatible with them. 9o,000 men have been recklessly jeopardising the nation's indispensable supply of coal in the hour when many hundreds of thousands of men are standing to to invade Europe, and this for an insubstantial grievance and against the advice of responsible leaders. The effect of the strikes of recent months has been that coal for industry has been cut by to per cent., electricity by to per cent., and gas by 25 per cent. Those men who have gone on strike in Yorkshire can only be described as saboteurs deliberately blocking the nation's war effort and en- dangering the lives of service-men. The same must be said about the apprentices who in effect are revolting against the Ministry of Labour's right of direction into industry. Against these the sternest disciplinary measures should be taken. There are indications of underground movements deliberately fomented by conspirators be- longing to a political organisation suspected of " Trotskyist " prin- ciples. While nothing should be left undone to bring such persons to book, the irresponsible men who come under their influence must be made to understand that a nation fighting for its life will not tolerate what is in effect substantial assistance to the enemy.
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