From the archive, 1 February 1919: Strikes at a critical stage

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 1 February 1919The Government have declined to interfere in the labour deadlock, and the result has been to increase the tension at Belfast and on the Clyde, where rioting has taken place. The situation is not desperate, but an extremely critical stage has been reached. On the result will largely depend whether improvement in labour conditions in the future is to be readied by a process of reasoned conciliation and binding agreement, or, if it can be so reached, by sporadic and inconsistent outbursts of "direct action". Only a small minority of revolutionary extremists are deliberately in favour of using methods of violence. And yet these are the methods being used increasingly. Partly this has been due to past mistakes, and partly to the war, which compelled the Government to put military necessities before logical consistency. But even before the war the same tendency had appeared, and there is little hope that the advent of peace will bring an automatic return to what are known as "constitutional" methods. These methods do not, of course, preclude the right to strike, which has always been in the last resort the most effective weapon of the trade union. But they do preclude the use of that weapon in breach of an agreement and in defiance of the union's own elected representatives.If the trade union organisations are to be deprived of authority and power the whole community will suffer. There must be some authority with which employers or the State can deal. Otherwise agreements become a farce, and the antagonism between employer and employed develops into a kind of guerilla warfare of which the present scenes in Scotland are but the beginning. Trade unionists would be well advised to put their own house in order. Violence is a sign of weakness, and in the end it cannot pay. It is the duty of the Government to see that it does not pay. But it will not do simply to repress disorder after it has arisen. In proportion, as the Government show severity towards violence, so must they show appreciation of discontent legitimately expressed. A reasoned programme on national lines would not only retain the support of moderate trade unionists but would add enormously to the moral forces behind the Government in whatever measures of repression they may find necessary.[On 31 January demonstrators campaigning for a reduction of the working week to 40 hours clashed with police in the battle of George Square. The government sent thousands of English troops to occupy the streets of Glasgow. On 10 February the strike was called off, the unions having negotiated a reduced working week of 47 hours.]Trade unionsGlasgowSocial historyProtestguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Ruka Kuusamo Lapland Ruka skiing