THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 26, 1937.
"Sit-downs" Perfect A
Technique
Strike
HOMETHING new in labour tac of strikers played Monopoly around
-Page 11
Services of a physician are oc- ber for shoring his "place" he tics has stirred the imagina- the clock, with shifts of six or casionally required. The doctor would stop loading coal. The sup- tion of large numbers of wage eight "signing in" for use of the goes to the gate, where he is con- erintendent would quickly rush tìm- earners of all classes-white collar, equipment every few hours.
sulted, generally about a cold, in- ber for the miners job. unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled. For beds-the strikers use the digestion or a sore throat. Sit-in More than two years ago, in the An- It is the sit-down strike. The name tables in the plant, covering them strikers suffer from laryngitis tumn of 1934, a crew of Hungarian is not quite accurate, for the disaf- with cardboard Blankets are us- brought on by excessive shouting, coal miners staged what was then feeted employees stay in the plants ually available after the first night singing and talking..
described as a "suicide strik
when
and seldom sit down at their ma- or so when wives pass them through Sometimes foremen drop in for a they refused to come to the surface chines, preferring, if anything, to the windows or turn them over to chat, fraternise a bit with the men and threatened to commit mass stand up or roam about their work- the pickets at the gates.
and perhaps affect their morale. suicide unless their demands for shops.
A typical breakfast for sit-in In such cases rules are sometimes higher wages were granted. This In recent weeks there have been strikers consists of prunes, oat- made that a striker must not talk affair at Pecs attracted consider- stay-in strikes of workers in France meal, ecee and bread. At
noon to company officials but that all able attention at the time and may and America. In Akron sit-down there is soup or stew, bread and conversation is to be carried on have been the inspiration of what strikes, as they are called there, sandwiches, pie and coffee or milk solely by union officials.
was called a “stay-down" strike in have been common. One observer The evening meal may be chili con Other "crises" may arise when Welsh collieries about a year later. noted fifty-eight in a single plant, carne, bread, coffee and dessert. word goes out that company guards Since then refinements have been each lasting from an hour or two Liquor is usually "verboten" are about to storm the stronghold added to this technique on both to three days.
One newspaper reporter who found of the strikers. Then the men sides of the Atlantic. But the climax of this form of it hard to extract information from are mobilised to prevent forcible labour demonstration came with a group of strikers passed several eviction. Usually an intelligence The sit-down weapon is as effec- the stay-in strikes of large num- half-pints of whisky over to them service of a sort, with swift run- tive as those who use it can make bers of employees in the automobile
and accessories plants in Detroit, Flint and near-by towns Here the
strike seemed to reach greater per- fection of organisation, with the re-
By Louis Stark
it Labour leaders realise that if it is carried on by vast numbers it
may have revolutionary implica
Occu-
tions, as did the series of sit-down strikes last year in France when was ners, is on hand to circumvent such hundreds of factories were sult that the national issues raised The supply of information by the sit-down have been brought turned on, but as soon as the alert contingencies.
pied. There the government, act- of In a sit-down in the rubber in- ing promptly rushed through into sharper focus. For the mo- picket captains became aware ment, at least, the new tactics are what was going on the liquor was dustry an act was committed that series of labour measures, includ- riding the crest of popularity in confiscated. The news supply also was fraught with considerable dan- ing a law on collective bargaining labour circles, while the old-fashion- dwindled.
The men, irate over a griev- which eased the crisis, but there ance, held the foreman and super- are indications that the sit-down visors in a bull-pen" made of rub- fever has not entirely abated in
·ber tires for fifteen hours, and an France.
ed walk-out remains in the back- ground. But there are signs that
systematic pressures.
The think highly
* * *
ger.
disci
ters
point to a use of both weapons as Music is an ever-welcome friend another step in the development of of the stay-in strikers. One or two-outbreak of violence or a raid by That the new weapon may turn It upon those who foster it is the fear radios are usually found in these police appeared to be likely. "sit-downers" themselves strikes, and where there are girl was averted, however, by calmness felt by some labour leaders who
of the new technique. strikers impromptu dances furnish The origin of the sit-down strike that requires considerst
and judgment on both sides. say that the stay-in strike is one "We are in the plant, they say, a social note for the occasion. In is unknown. Some think that the pline. The men mu "We are not damaging the pro- one plant an accordion, fiddle, saxo-
Gandhi passive resistance move of themselves at all times perty. In fact, we take care of it, phone and two harmonicas served
ment in India may have stimulated problem of keeping intact the ma and would stop anybody from sabo- as a “dance orchestra.”
the idea, but the method has been chines which yield them tage. But we are here to get our "Talent" of various kinds is dis known for years in coal mines hood is one that cannot be rights. Nobody can work while we covered quickly. Strikers in a plant When a coal miner found that he in the hour to hour crises that mark are on the job. We are striking found two barbers, both of whom was not supplied with enough tim- these demonstrati inside the plant That's better had drifted into mechanical work than walking outside and using up They were made to take up their your shoe leather.
old trade. For the girls there was Needless to say, the viewpoint of a "beauty parlour" presided over by the management is quite the re- an ex-employee of one of these in- verse. The men, they maintain, stitutions. A clerk in the shipping are trespassers, holding property department proved to be a virtuoso to which they have no right and in several fields, leading a chorus preventing anybody who wants to and also conducting a group in work from working. "It is illegal workers" education. The education and the strikers should be put group was divided into two classes, out," they say. "Why should a one for the study of trade unions, small number of men keep the the other taking up parliamentary majority out of work?"
* * *
26
"law.
chaperon-
Where girls may be among the A typical stay-in strike is called strikers strict rules of asually in a plant which has win- age are arranged. In one case two dows that open on the street. One plant matrons paid by the com- which is set back from the road, pany-consented to remain with the with a gate at the street entrance strikers and to take charge of the and a long path leading up to the women's "dormitory." For both doors, is not built for a labour de- men and women a "curfew" was monstration of the new kind Unobserved, usually about 11 pm or less the strikers controlled the gate a little later. "Radios of" is the and gave free ingress and egress to rule at 11 p.m. their caterers, such a strike would Intra-plant decisions on policy really mean hunger demonstra are usually made by the strike tion, and hunger strikes are rare in strategy committee. In one case labour annals. Therefore the stay. the question arose as to whether inners" select a factory which faces the girls should be permitted to go a street where they may open win- through a dark tunnel connecting dows, lean out and chat with their two plants. The committee ruled friends and families and, most im- that while the men from the con- portant, pass food, cigarettes and necting plants might visit, each candy through the windows or hoist other and the girls at the usual them to the upper floors in impro hours the girls could not go through vised slings
tunnel.. Have you been to church
"outsider" Flint plant
The stay-in strikers find-
amusements at hand.
ovise draught boards
board boxes, using sings
washers for draughts. One group the
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