Salt Lake Telegram | 1930-10-26 | Page 9 | British Labor Opposes Plan to Cut Wages

BRITISH lABOR OPPOSES PlAN TO 10 CUT CUI AGES Workers Want New Contracts to toBe toBe Be Explicit Explicit- By ARTHUR F. F DEGREVE F.-DEGREVE LONDON Oc Oct 12 25 13 United P Preas CAS Organized labor Jabor in itt Great Britain Is preparing preparing- to opp s vigorously any reduction in the tho wages of or more than workers workers' whose agreements agreements agreements agree agree- ments with employers expire this n y-ai y ar The first a of the tho new agreements to be negotiated ted Is s that of or railway work workers rs numbering more than Contracts with miners and building trades workers likewise must be adjusted before 1931 In labor Jabor circles It has been frequently ire fre frel reported that the railway companies whose receipts during the first forty fort weeks of or 1930 were almost less than during th the same period in 1929 would lead the tho struggle for tor drastic wage cuts To Years ago the workers accepted a 2 1 per cent reduction for tor a period of a a. year arid and tho the roads saved saed RAIL HEADS DENY PLAN However Howe reports that the h heads ads of or the the- railway groups already were conferring and had reached a a. de decisIon decision do- do cislon to demand a a. sizeable reduction reduction tion In wages wa es were denied b by them Despite this the United Press le learned trade u union lon officials arc are watching the situation closely and have ha let It be known any any demand by bythe bythe bythe the railroads for tor a acut cut In salaries will viiI III be m met t by workers' workers demands demand for foran foran foran an Increase Authorities s are watching also the situation S In Germany where wage reductions have occurred While economists here hero insist that a a. 10 per pcr cent cut Js is necessary for the rejuvenation j or f Britain's industry the union chiefs point point- to the fact fac lh that t th the workers are barely comfortable comfortable com corn now despite the steadily falling cost of ot luring living SLIGHT MOVEMENT 1 A Blanco glanc at t comp comparative ra vo salaries now now and in lO 1920 when hen Br BrItish in in- in d atry was at peak peale production re reveals reveals reveals re- re that there has been only only- a Th Thred slight fluctuation downward red reductions were ere made largely cly under the thc cost ot cost of cl clause In the contraCts contracts contracts con con- tracts under which the employer Is permitted to deduct from Com pay paychecks checks 24 cents for every 10 point drop in inthe the cost cost- of or living More than government workers who earn Cam arn less than U 1250 50 a a. week w-cek are atC aff affected ct d d- dby b by this clause and their association recently protested protested protested pro pro- tested bitterly at the alleged antl anti family buds budgets ts used by goy gov t experts in determining a fair fall cost ost of ot living JIving STANDARDS CHA CHANGE GE Their complaint has been sUPported supported sup sUP- ported by union leaders who tam tain the standards of ot living have chi changed c considerably in Jn in inthe the the last las ten ton years ears and the index should be readjusted However on the other other othe hand the trade union council is re reluctant ro- ro to und undertake ui the tho task until the he price of otc s becomes becom bee m s smore smore more stabilized than than at t present It t is estimated 1 that at present present more than han of the tho workers of ot Great Britain actually employed d nev never r now know know fr from m one onek we week k to the next hat their pay envelopes pes will contaIn The he agitation agit tion Uon now flOW most prevalent Is directed toward fixing a 3 minimum wage subject to to fluctuation In accordance with the thern reduced lI living Hying l c cost st st. The railway workers already have hao such sucha a clause In agreement with employers employ rs and and the United p Press ss was vas Informed the tho qu question would be seriously c considered when new contracts contracts con con- on- on tracts are drafted The cost cost cost- of or living in Great Britain Brit rIt ain in n js estimated to be 57 51 per perc percent percent c cent nt higher than In July 1914 yet food lood is 54 64 per cent cont ch cheaper aper than a year ago We are rc proud of of- t tho the fact that wages wages' have rem remained steady for Tor the he last ten years years a prominent labor abor official told the United Press and vb we ha have hano no Intention of or permitting permitting per per- a reduction without a a- ahard hard h rd fight Light We are willing to d do every every- t to cooperate with Industry bm our workers must have hae-a hae living rage ago and that is all aU they are getting get- get tl ting v. no now