More Industrial Strife in France

Apologies for the late appearance. Long internet outage to blame

Tuesday 15th September 1936

There seemed to be no end to the troubles that Léon  Blum’s Front Populaire government had to deal with in France. The latest wave of industrial disputes was not terrifying as those that had followed the election but it was daunting enough.

This time unrest was focused on the textile industry, then still a massive sector of the economy notably in the north of France. Blum was personally handling the negotiations which put both sides on their best behaviour, or a tactically close approximation to it. Whilst the employers rejected Blum’s insistence on binding government arbitration, they stated they were happy to continue talks once an arbitrator was appointed.