STATE-WIDE COAL STRIKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 3

STATE-WIDE COAL STRIKE

CRISIS LOOMING IN AUSTRALIA Industry Will Come To Standstill (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 9.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Miners’ Officials announced last night that a State-wide coal strike will begin in New South Wales to-day. The Premier of South Australia (Mr Thomas Playford) stated that from to-night practically all industry in South Australia will come to a standstill because of the coal shortage. Votes cast at meetings of miners to-day were roughly three to two in favour of a general coal stoppage in New South Wales. At two of the largest meetings —Cessnock and Wollongong the voting was against the strike, but at nearly every other centre the men supported a hold-up in sympathy with the striking steel workers. Seamen in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide voted for a stoppage on coal ships and those carrying Broken Hill Proprietaiy or Australian Iron and Steel, Ltd., products. In Sydney, seamen voted 10 to 1 in favour of the strike, while at Newcastle the voting in favour of a strike was unanimous. Eighteen ships are tied up at Newcastle, including the Broken Hill Proprietary’s entire fleet of 11 vessels. The coal production loss to-day is estimated at more than 51,000 tons.

With Australia threatened by an industrial upheaval, a high authority in Canberra repeated that .the Prime Minister (Mr J. B. Chifley) is determined not to intervene, because he would be conceding a tactical victory to the Communist-controlled Miners’ Union, which last week delivered an ultimatum that he should intervene. Mr Chifley’s contention is that the dispute is before the Court and is being handled by the New South Wales Labour Council Disputes Committee. Mr Chifley himself would make no comment whatever. The executive of the New South Wales Labour Council is reviewing the position to-day. One proposal is that Mr Chifley should call a conference of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, the Sydney Labour Council and the Unions involved and refer the dispute to the Commonwealth Arbitration Court.

If the miners go on strike, it will not be long before all trains and trams will cease running and the generation

of electric power brought to a standstill. The Railway Department has only a little more than a week’s supply of coal and an official said: “When that cuts out, so will everything else.” Widespread and disastrous effects on industry will follow with at least 500,000 workers thrown out of employment. Essential services will he cut down and food supplies restricted. Electricity and gas rationing will commence immediately. City utilities, including hospitals, will be thrown into chaos by the strict rationing. Worse will follow if the coal cuts out. Immediate gas rationing in the whole of the Melbourne metropolitan area began to-day and drastic cuts in coal for almost all Victorian industries are expected. Similar restrictions are likely in South Australia and Queensland. Government officials expressed the opinion that the rationing of gas and electricity will be inevitable in Queensland. The miners will decide at their aggregate meetings on Wednesday whether or not to go on strike.