WATERFRONT DELAYS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23803, 24 November 1942, Page 5

WATERFRONT DELAYS

♦ ~ AUSTRALIAN POSITION (0.C.) SYDNEY. November 11. . Delays on the waterfront continue to arouse discussion of the fictions of Australian waterside workers. Recently waterside workers refused to work a ship in rain and the unloading was completed by American soldiers. They discontinued unloading another vessel for the same reason last week and the job was finished by two gangs of Australian soldiers, members of the Docks Operation Company, The soldiers were paid on-the basis of 6s 6d a day, and the wharf labourers 3s 7d an hour. Yesterday thousands of wharf labourers refused to work on the Sydney waterside because manpower officers were present at the picking-up places to check employment tokens and weed out Army shirkers. The stoppage was not authorised by the leaders of the Waterside Workers’ Federation, and the secretary of the federation (Mr J. Healey) said later: “Apparently the members have been misled as to the intention of the authorities. A checkup by manpower authorities has become necessary because there is no effective method of controlling labour engagements and keeping a check on those who are following and those who are not following the industry. The members have acted quite contrary to the policy of the federation, and in delaying vessels have committed a disservice to the country and to the Federal Government. The token, which is, in effect, a complete exemption from military and Allied work call-ups, has been accepted by all branches of the federation.” The check was ordered by the Stevedoring Industry Commission, of the Department of Supply and Shipping, of which Mr J. Beasley is the Ministerial head, when it was found that only 2200 of 4000 registered wharf-" labourers were actually at work, even on days when there was an acute shortage of labour for loading and unloading ships. The wharf labourers refused to submit to the check, and sent for the Minister of Labour (Mr E. Ward), who ordered the withdrawal of the manpower officers pending a discussion of the waterfront position. The men then started work. It was later stated that Mr Ward’s action was disapproved of by Mr Beasley and that an understanding will have to be reached to prevent a conflict of administration between the two departments.