AN AUSTRALIAN STRIKE

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13986, 8 March 1911, Page 8

AN AUSTRALIAN STRIKE

The cabled statement that twenty unionist in Melbourne havo gone back to work with non-unionists, indicates that ' the

strike which centred round the Sunshine Harvester Works is breaking. It has been, from all the evidence available, one of the most senseless strikes that has happened in Australia. The men had two grievances—the rate of wages nnd the presence in the workshops of a large number of non-imion-ists. The former was to a large extent settled by the Wages Board in a few days. Tbe non-unionists were called on to join the union, and some 800 out of 8-50 did so. The trouble arose because the odd fifty objected, for some reasons of their own, to become Unionists, an objection for which the action of tho leaders of the union has given ample grounds. Tho union demanded that none but unionists should be employed in the industry, and when the employers refused to dismiss workmen cause thoy were not in the union, all unionists were "called out." No ballot was taken as to whether there should be a strike or not; the decision was arrived at by open vote at a mass meeting at the Trades' Hall,at which it is said, many votes were cast by lads and non-members. This fact alone appears, quite naturally, to have been resented by many of the men, who, though loyal to their fellows, disapproved of a strike taking place on such trivial grounds. As the "Age," which has bitterly opposed the strike from the outset, pointed out, "tho men in •' the industry were so well organised l "that the fact of there being only "about 50 or 100 out of the union "could easily have been overlooked " until, by the exercise of moral sua"sion and the necessary patience, the " scruples of those men could have " been overcome. The chances are " that in another six months most, if " not all, of the non-unionists would "havo joined tho union." The paper protested hotly against the despotio character of the strikers' demands and their insistence that non-unionists should not be allowed to earn a living. " The most cruel tyranny the world " has ever known," it declared, " is the tyranny of religiouß bigotry. ■" Have wo slain religious tyranny," it asked, "only to set tin the tyranny of "class?" Now some of the unionists, tired, no doubt, of a struggle which they must realise rests on tin unjust claim, are going back to work. But the strike may do permanent injury to the industry, for Mr McKay, of the Sunshine harvester works, has decided to open works in England for ate manufacture of the harvesters that he supplies in large quantities to tl*3 Argentine and other foreign market*. That part of the tiade is, therefore, lost to Australia ond tho Au.triliful workmen. For that the unionists have to thank their leaders.