STRIKE LEADERS’ STATEMENT

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24749, 14 December 1945, Page 7

STRIKE LEADERS’ STATEMENT

ATTACK ON BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY

CHIFLEY’S STAND FOR ARBITRATION ■ V SYDNEY, December 13. In a joiht Statement, the president of the Australian Miners’ Federation (Mr H. C. Wells), the acting-secretary of the Ironworkers’ Union (Mr McPhillips), and the secretary of the Seamen’s Union (Mr E. V. Elliott) attacked the Broken , Hill Proprietary., and alleged that the company was trying to make this a “black” Christmas. The statement said: “The Broken Hill Proprietary’s refusal to accept the terms of the ■'settlement proposed by the Australasian -Council of Trade Unions means, in fact, that the company is completely unconcerned about the views of the Australian trade union movement and about the rights of working men and women. “The Broken Hill Proprietary, in fact, is trading on the nearness of Christmas and the intense rationing of gas, light, electricity and fuel for the people. The Broken Hill Proprietary is trying to make this a ‘black’ Christmas for the Australian people. We. as officials of unions, directly represent and are really concerned about the well-being of hundreds of thousands of men and women in industry, and about the well-being of all Australian people We are discussing all matters connected with the present situation in order to prevent a ‘black’ Christmas. This is, still possible.” Messages to Chifley More than 20 trade unions representing 150,000 members have sent telegrams to the Federal Prime Minister (Mr J. B. Chifley) congratulating him on his stand in the strike negotiations The unions included the’ powerful Australian Workers’Union, a message from which read; “The union desires to congratulate you and the Government upon the stand taken in support of arbitration. Every Australian and all genuine unionists cannot but applaud your determined stand in their interests.”

The “Sydney Morning Herald” says: “Considerable significance is attached to the statement by Messrs Wells, McPhillips and Elliott, which is widely interpreted in trade union circles as an effort by Communist officials to save face with their members and to prepare them for surrender. Some trade union leaders declare that the Communists, desperately anxious to avoid the full humiliation of defeat, hoped that they might gain some credit by calling the strike off before Christmas.

“It is stated that the Communists, having been rebuffed by the Prime Minister, were acutely concerned at the rising tide of resentment against the strike among the public and within the trade union and Labour movements," Trade union officials said that the tone of the Communists’ statement attacking the Broken Hill Proprietary was in complete variance with their attitude at the conference with Mr Chifley on Tuesday, when their chief criticism had been directed against the Prime Minister for his refusal to accept their settlement terms. Bv attacking the Broken Hill Proprietary they now hoped, to deflect attention from their failure to convince the Prime Minister and their inability to enlist the support of the trade union movement and the Labour Party.