Union be Damned

Some 60,000 of Glasgow's Clydeside ship yard workers went on strike last week despite the pleas of their union, the laws of their Government. It was only a 30-minute strike. But it was the first of a threatened series of "token" strikes brought on by the failure of the Engineering Union to speed up negotiations for higher wages.

Conferring in Leicester on wage increases for 2,500,000 workers, the Engineering Union begged for wartime solidarity, opposed all strike action, said union "reestablishment" could await the war's end.

Labor Minister Ernest Bevin, who last year outlawed strikes and lockouts for the war's duration, gave no hint of possible action. He had for some time been under fire for failure to deal more strongly with labor upsets. But when 60,000 vitally important producers earning $14.50-$19 a week (better pay in Britain than it is in the U.S.) felt strongly enough to strike against King and Union, the wisest answer was not necessarily "strong" dealing.

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