The second of the one-day strikes callod by the Confedoration cf Shipbuilding and {ingincoring Unions was oven moro successful than the first. On March 5th practically the whjle cnginovring trade in Britain was brought to a halt. This timo the manual workers wero joined by some 40,000 draughtsmen, Another now feature this time was the large number of firms which, against the instructions of the -imployers' Federation, closed dewn altogethor. This was to avoid a spate of strikes,aftorwards,against blacklegs. On the othor side the unions coneentratod on the few week links which came to light in lobruary.
fiverywhero the meetings and demonstrations cime out overwhelmingly for full strike action: Bolfast 3,000 umnimous, Glasgow, 1,200 ronrod ayo!, Sheffield all but four cut of 1,500 voted for, Levds 700 overwhelmingly for, Liverpool 3,000 unanimous, Stockport soveral hundred unanimous, Coventry 3,000 unanimous, Birmingham 1,200 marched, clsewhere marches and demonstrdions tock place at Huddersfield, Hull, Oldahm, Chestorfield, Nottingham, Nowport, Swansea, Treorchy, Morthyr, Bristol, New Maldon, Foltham, Canning Town, Greonwich, Jinfield, Southwark, Dattersca, .lporton, Highbury, Woybridge, Crawley, Bradford, Manchestur and many other places. Attendances wore not so groat this time as in February, no doubt mainly because of the extremely bitter weather but also maybe because a ‘repeat perfvrmance' is not so stimulating,
iigain tho one-day strike was fullowed by a whole sories of strugglos against blacklegs. At two English ilectric factorios at Liverpool and Bradford 5,000 and 2,500, respectivel Wause stiff mon had done work during the strike. Nearly all the 2,000 workers at Holman ilining liachinery of Camborne (Cornwall wolkod out because the management rufused to take action against six mon who worked on tho Monday. There was a 100% walkout at Forranti's sidinburgh to feoree non union ist to join the union. Two strikes at Kilmarnock involved 900 and 700 on a sinilar issuc. Nearly 600 singvineers at British Timkon at Duston, near Northampton, walked out to enforce action against noners. 6,000 came out at General jtlectric Company of Walsall and Birmingham, At another G.E.C. works in Shaw, near Oldham, 1,000 came out to force the management to take action against 20 odd men who worked through tho strike. Similar actions were reported from: Trafford Park, Darlington, Chrysler of London, Leeds, liverley (Yorks), Yoovil, Cardiff, Blackburn, Bloxwich, Keighley and olsewhore. At the timo of writing some of those struggles were still going on.
The fight is now on to decide that the two thirds majority vote for striko action is achioved. Tho unions left and right have 'bought' more votes to strengthen their hand by affiliating on a higher mombership to the Confed. The Transport and General “orkers!' Union, which is the forefront in supporting strike action, has affiliated on a membership of 175,000 an incroase of 45,000. The main union in cpposition to the strike the Goneral and lMunicipal Yorkers Union has also incresaed its affiliated mombership. A few small unions have decided tc cast thoir vote, without a ballot, for strike action, o.g., tho National Socicty of Paintors, 4. decision for strike action could do much to counter the effects of the weakness shown by tho leaderships of the railwaymon and minors.